The Shot
by Erebusthehyena
Summary: Set after the concert, Nick has become one of the best marksman the ZPD has ever known. However when his partner is is put into a situation that requires him to take a life, will he be able to handle the guilt or will he fall into the darkness of his own mind. Judy is Nick 's anchor, holding him down so that he doesn't get lost in darkness but could she be more?
1. Chapter 1

**OK Chapter one is redone I would like to know if I did better this time. And if you all want me to post the old version somewhere else. Don't worry Allie and Wades date will still be in here and Nick and Judy will get together although later. Thank you all for following me and helping me grow as a new writer.**

NICK POV

"God why are you so heavy," Nick said to the large bag that was slung across his shoulder, "I'm alway lugging you from one building to the next."

Nick had been walking for about a block and was about to reach his destination, which was a rather tall apartment building. However, Nick wasn't interesting in renting an apartment, he was interested in the great line-of-site that the building had of the bank across the street. Nick finally made it to the door of the building, after pulling open the door he walked straight across the lobby to another door, he knew what lay behind the door but when he saw it he still let out an audible groan.

"Stairs," the fox said with distaste, "Its always got to be stairs,"

Nick sighed as he began his slow walk to the roof, usually it would be an easy task for the fox but not with the large pack he had slung across his shoulder.

"Damn thing must weigh as much as I do," Nick said as he leaned against the railing to catch his breath,

"Come on Nick, just three more stories." A spotted muzzle said from over the railing a couple stories up,

"Why didn't you carry this thing, it probably weighs nothing to you… and you didn't have to leave me in the dust back there," the fox said to the spotted hyena, that was now only a floor above him.

"Because you chose to make me the spotter, why can't you let me play with our new toy," the hyena whined as Nick walked past her to the apartment that they had commandeered.

"Because Allie, I am a better shot than you…and you didn't carry the bag," Nick said as he walked up to the open window of their temporary apartment. Nick sat the bag down and started pulling pieces out of it, assembling the pieces with speed born of hours of practice and the natural dexterity that nearly all foxes had. Before long the fox was holding a rifle as long as he was tall, it angles sharp with a large muzzle-break and magazine, the barrel a long octagon with corners that spiraled towards the stock, the purpose of this gun was obvious, it was meant to kill and absolutely nothing else.

"Hay Allie hand me the screw gun, I have to mount the bipod."

"We wouldn't have to mount it if I was shooting," The hyena said as she passed the screw gun to Nick who quickly screwed it down to the window-seal, usually he wouldn't mount his rifle but he had to take down a rhino and that called for a big gun with lots of recoil. He then put his cheek against the butt of the rifle and checked his range of motion and line of sight, once he determined that it was all good, he motioned for his spotted spotter to get into position, just behind him and to the right.

"Sorry I just don't trust you with this," Nick said curtly,

"Nick that was kind of mean, you knew I was kidding," Allie said with a little hurt in her voice,

"I know, sorry it's just… I hate being away from Judy, especially in these situations… I just need to do this it makes me feel better knowing that I can actually do something if Carrots does something reckless," Nick sighed,

"She is lucky to have you, to bad your already taken or I would ask you out myself," Allie teased,

"I am not taken we are just friends, and my fur is red not white," The fox grumbled into the side of his gun, "Ok I'm set… everything good Filter?"

"No, your sights are good, we are low enough to not have to worry about up-draft and the bank is just across the street so drop is not a problem… honestly from this range you don't even need me here…and don't call me Filter,"

"Alright let's check in…Bogo?" Nick turned on and spoke into his earpiece,

"You took you sweet time Orange-ass,"

"Why does everyone keep saying that it's a twenty pound gun… you guys forget that I am a fox! I only weigh fourth pound…and you are just jealous of my awesome color buffalo-butt," Nick responded into his headset while smirking into the stock of his gun, all the while Allie was trying to contain her chuckles.

"Wilde you call me buffalo-butt one more time an I will shove that gun so far up your…" The Chief started but was cut off by a sharp voice,

"We have a bank robbery with hostages, so can we save the verbal sparing for later, and Nick… stop antagonizing the Chief," Judy voice came across the link with the ZPD.

"He started it," Nick mumbled,

The Chief huffed before giving the plan for extracting the hostages with negotiation,

"Ok everyone listen up! There are ten hostages at least, our job is to get them out, the suspect in this robbery has a lethal firearm, a revolver, from what we have gathered, so unfortunately because of his size and the fact that he is holding hostages, we must use lethal force if necessary. Nick and Allie will be Overwatch, your job is to take out the suspect if the situation escalates or if negotiations breakdown. Judy will be handling the negotiation because she is the least intimidating… No offense Hopps… And finally I myself will be leading SWAT in extractions and trying to find an entry point into the bank if at all possible….now get into position."

At his words he walked towards the bank in his full-body SWAT ballistics gear to meet up with his team. The Judy took her position just behind a large mammals bullet proof vest that had been placed on the ground for her, so that she could take cover behind it. Nick and Allie got as comfortable as they could behind their respective scopes because it could be hours before they would move again.

"Check in," Bogo's voice whispered over his intercom,

"Check,:" Judys voice said,

"Overwatch is set, but no visual," Nick said,a

"Check," Allies voice confirmed,

"Alright, Judy you are clear to make first contact his name is Artie," the Chief said,

Judy picked up the ZPD phone that was set to record her conversation and called the bank, the phone rang three times and then went to an automated message. Judy then picked up her megaphone, which was really just for show as it transmitted her voice to a larger amplifier in the chiefs cruiser,

"Artie pick up the phone it's the ZPD,"

"We are storming the building in ten… nine…" Bogo's voice announced to his team,

"Chief, Wait I'm going in, we cant risk storming the building… we don't even know where Artie is…If I go in I can resume communications or at least give some info on where the hostages are located…" Judy spoke,

"No Judy you know he shot the cameras so you will be going in blind, and I don't have a visual of the inside of the bank….that means no support at all…tell her Chief," Nicks voice sounded calm to all but Judy, because she knew him better she could here panic in his voice.

"Nick I'll be fine I can do this…."

"No you can't!"

"Yes, she can… if she choses to… I would never force an officer to do this, but an officer on the inside would reduce loss of life if we stormed the building," Bogo said,

"Judy I-I you c-can't… be careful," Nick stammered out in defeat,

In his mind Nick changes the objective of the job, now he was not trying to protect hostages, he was protecting Judy… at all costs, she meant more to the fox than his own life because he was nothing without her. Nick felt a large paw fall across his shoulder,

"Nick, she will be fine," Allie said as she started to chuckle, something hyenas did when they were extremely nervous,

 **JUDY POV**

Judy pulled of her side-arm and played it on the ground, she then started to slowly approach the bank with her arms up and her ears down in a nonthreatening display. She hated to do this to Nick, she could here him worrying, just by the static from his headset caused by him moving and fidgeting.

'I _f he did something like this to me… I would have his pelt,'_ Judy thought to herself,

She had made it to the door of the bank, where she slowly pulled on the door small mammal door just in case it wasn't locked, and to her surprise it swung open. She stepped into the bank and turned around and looked at the larger doors, which were fastened together by the red velvet ropes that the bank kept to direct costumer traffic. She then noticed something else… there was no-one in the lobby, no hostages, no robber, nothing.

"Chief, this guy is an amateur only the large mammal doors have been sealed the small mammal door was open… there is no-one in the lobby,"

"Understood," the Chief stated,

Judy heard a voice further back in the bank, and started to move towards that sound, when she was almost out of the lobby she thought of something and turned back. She quickly started to open the shudder on the windows of the lobby, before long they were all open and she heard Nick over her link,

"I have a visual of the lobby, nice thinking Fluff,"

Judy turned and started to head back to the voice she heard earlier,

"What do you mean you cant open the vault… I _need_ that money," a gruff voice stated with some pleading in his voice,

"I-Im s-sor-sorry i-it is a-an time lock I only have the combination b-but the door still will n-not open f-for a-another ei-eight hours, p-please don't k-kill me," a soft voice stammered out,

"No, no you did good calm down and go sit with the others," the other voice said,

Judy thought that he was awful nice for a robber, she was standing next to the door where the vault was located.

"He and the hostages are in the vault room,"

"Artie this is Judy from the ZPD I am unarmed, I am just here to talk ok…"

Judy peeked around the corner to see the rhino with his gun raised at the door, when he saw Judy some of the tension left his face. She heard him whisper something along the lines of "oh its just a bunny".

"So tell me Artie, what do you want for this to end peacefully,"

"All I need is 787,700 dollars and then I will be on my way, thats all I want… I will leave the rest of the money in the vault,"

"Well thats a very specific number… why not take all the money," Judy asked from her spot just beyond the door, she watched as Artie's gun lowered slightly.

"I uh… my mom she… she's got a bad heart… and she needs a new one b-but we never had much money and couldn't afford insurance s-so she is going to die unless … s-she needs this money and I'm going to get it from her," The rhinos voice wavered when talking about his mom until he got to the end where it was reinforced by determination. The gun was brought back up with a shaking hand.

Judy was torn,

 _'This isn't a bad guy he is just desperate. I have to get him to surrender or he will be killed maybe after this his mom will get the operation.'_

"Artie listen to me your mom wouldn't want you throwing your life away for her… there is always another way… look at these mammals," Judy motioned to the assortment of mammals huddled together in the corner next to the vault, "They are terrified… they could have a panic attack, or what if one has asthma… you cant keep them here or you are no better than the hospital that wont treat your mom,"

"I need them or I will get arrested before I can get mom's money," he looked at his hostages with some sympathy in his eyes, and was surprised when he saw some of them returning his gaze with equal amounts of sympathy.

"Who do you think the ZPD will care more about, this random mammals or one of their own… if you let them go I will take their place," Judy said while stepping out from behind the doorframe.

"Judy NO!" Nick screamed from the roof, forgetting that he had an earpiece for a moment,

"I uh well, Um…" Artie mumbled,

"Look at them Artie, they have families to go home to, they are someone else mothers and fathers, think about their cubs and kits waiting for them at home, and what of their mates, I don't anyone waiting for me," As the rabbit spoke, the rhino was nodding slowly, She thought that she heard Nick speak into her ear,

"You have me…"

"Ok um… You uh was it… write down the combination, and then you and the others can leave…as soon as the rabbit sits down over there," he motioned to the corner where all the hostages were sitting.

Judy started to walk to the other hostages as a beaver took out a pen and stood up to walk to her desk where she wrote down a series of number with directions on how to open the vault when the timer ran out. The frightened beaver then handed the scrap of paper to the rhino.

"Ok go…," no-one moved, "NOW!"

With his shout all of the hostages bolted out of the room toward the front exit, after the sound of the group of mammals fiddling with the ropes a voice came over the link to Judy,

"Hostages secure, get ready for extraction Officer Hopps we are coming in," Bogo's voice stated,

"No, wait,"

"Who are you talking to?" The rhino said while he aimed his gun at the rabbit again,

Judy thought about her answer and came up with a plan to get the rhino to surrender,

"I was talking to SWAT… They wanted to storm the building and kill you, but I think that you are a good mammal… and I want to help you through this…You are going to be either shot or arrested,"

Judy saw the rhinos hoofed fingers tighten around his gun,

"But if you turn yourself in I will make sure to do everything in my power to get your mom that transplant… Ok Artie," Of course Judy didn't mention that she had no power to help his mom, but she didn't want him to die,

"You can probably say that you were acting under duress and get a lenient sentence," Judy knew that that was just a straight lie but she reasoned that under the circumstance it was necessary,

"You would do that… for ma," Artie said as he lowered his gun, as Judy started to walk towards him,

"Of course Artie, just follow me," Judy had walked past the rhino and had her hands up as she slowly made her way to the door of the bank. The rhino nodded and lowered his revolver to his side, as he slowly followed Judy to the door. Once they arrived to the open door Judy spoke to Artie.

"I have a shot," Nick spoke over the link,

"Artie listen to me, you need to stay calm and not do anything rash," Judy and Artie were now standing about ten feet from the door,

"Now, We are almost home free just put your gun down… and I will have you home to your mom in no-time,"

'Wait…tell me how you were going to help my mom… you don't have that kinda money a-and the ZPD doesn't have any jurisdiction over the hospital… y-you lied to me…n-now ma is going to die b-because of you…," Artie's face rose in realization at how Judy had tricked him, then his face contorted in anger, "YOU!"

Judy watched in terror as the giant revolver was raised at her, she could see the bullet in the chamber which probably weight about ten pounds, there was no way she could run away, not in time. Her dad always said that she was a trier but now, in this moment… there was nothing to try, so she did the only other thing she could do. She accepted her fate.

 _'At least I saved the hostages_. _'_

As she started to close her eyes to await the gunshot her life flashed before her eyes, but as the movie of her life flew by, she found that the memories she cherished the most were the ones with Nick in them. She stopped the stream of memories one she decided she cherished most of all…

{flashback}

"Hay Carrots," Nick said, as he strutted up to her desk with his freshly pressed ZPD uniform. He had a coffee in both hands and aviators on his muzzle.

"Hey, slick. Where you been? I didn't see you when I came in this morning."

Nick handed her one of the cups and sat down across from her while in the same motion taking of his shades.

"You got me coffee?" she asked. Judy was not fond of coffee unless the mix was _exactly_ the way she wanted it, but when it was made correctly it was bliss in a cup.

"Of course. That's what partners do right?" he said with his trademark smirk across his muzzle.

Judy assumed that was rhetorical so she didn't answer him. She placed her coffee on the table as she continued to type out her reports, her foot thumping on one of the wheels of her chair. Her prey instincts made her feel like someone watching her, and when she looked up she saw Nick staring at her with that stupid, dopey grin of his.

"What do you want now, Nick?" She said, as she dropped one of her ears to one side and tilted her head in a questioning look.

"Aren't you gonna try your coffee?" he said.

Judy thought about telling him how specific she liked her coffee and that he probably got it wrong but decided that that would be rude. _'It can't be too hard to choke down one bad cup of coffee to spare a friends feelings right?'_ she thought as she took a sip. The rabbit's ears straightened and a large smile spread across her muzzle as her nose twitched in joy.

"How did you know how I liked my coffee, Nick? Sometimes even I forget how I like it!"

Nick just continued to stare at her with his trademark half-lidded eyes and smirk.

"Lucky guess, Fluff," he said plainly.

But Judy could have sworn she saw a sparkle in his emerald eyes when he said that. Judy took another blissful sip of coffee before standing up and printing her reports.

"I'll be right back, just gotta drop this off with Bogo." and with that she skipped down the hall towards Bogo's office.

As soon as she reached the door she heard a conversation on the other side, so she decided to wait outside until the chief was done with his conversation.

She didn't mean to eavesdrop but with ears like hers sometimes it just happened.

"I swear chief that fox Wilde is up to no good, he was in the surveillance room for an hour before his shift, sir, and he kept dodging my questions about why he was there with that silver tongue of his."

"I promise you, Susan, Nick asked me permission to access the break room cameras. Now please, for the sake of my sanity and your JOB please stop your vendetta against Wilde. This is your third complaint this week."

This piqued Judy's curiosity.

 _'Had someone stolen something from Nick so he needed the feeds to check who did it or mab…'_

Her thoughts were interrupted as a sheep walked out of Bogo's office. After Judy turned in her reports she headed straight to the surveillance room. She asked the tech there, an otter named Joshua, to pull up the same clip of video that Nick had accessed earlier. When the clip finally appeared on the screen Judy saw herself making a coffee in the break-room.

"Wha... Joshua do you know why Nick was accessing this feed."

"I have no idea," the otter said with a bored expression on his face as he stared at the massive amount of computer components in front of him. "Oh but he kept rambling something about surprising …. Celery maybe…. it was some vegetable," the otter said.

"Carrots?"

"Hey, yah that was it…" the otter started as a smile appeared on Judy's face.

"And he keeps writing things down every time he watched the video like, half-caff and cream and stuff. He once asked me 'Who the hell puts salt in their coffee'. He sounded crazy if you ask me."

Judy felt a warm feeling spread from her ears to the rest of her body when she figured out what Nick had done. Nick had woken up an hour early, which is unheard of for him, asked the chief for permission to look at the security feeds from yesterday, just to surprise her with a coffee just the way she liked it…

 _'That warm feeling is what I want to think about in my last moments,'_ Judy decided.

' _A rabbits last though before she is shot is of a fox,'_ that thought brought a sad smile to her face…

Then the shot came…

NICK POV

Nick was pissed at how Judy had traded herself for the hostages,

 _'How can she be so selfish, how can she thinks that she has no-one to come back to,'_ Nick was pulled from his thought by Allies voice,

"Suspect spotted, second window from the left… from this angle the bullet would be deflected to much by the glass… no shot,"

Nick aimed his crosshairs just below the Artie's massive head, on the second vertebrae on his spine an easy shot from this distance, the problem was the window. Nick let his training take over as he followed Artie with his sights, getting used to his gait, how his body swayed from right to left slowly with each step until Nick's crosshairs followed every movement until he was able to match each with his own, like a dance between sniper and target but this dance never ended applause. Nick watched as Artie was lead out the door by Judy,

"I have a shot,"

"Artie listen to me, you need to stay calm and not do anything rash,"

"Now, We are almost home free just put your gun down… and I will have you home to your mom in no-time,"

'Wait…tell me how you were going to help my mom… you don't have that kinda money a-and the ZPD doesn't have any jurisdiction over the hospital… y-you lied to me…n-now ma is going to die b-because of you…," Nick watched as Artie's features changed to anger, "YOU!"

Nick watched as the rhino leveled his gun at Judy, he saw Judy's expression change from fear to acceptance, a small smile speed across her muzzle.

 _'Judy is accepting her death… But I don't_ ,"

Nick didn't have time to think anymore as the recoil of his rifle slamming against his body, the massive rifle pulling the screws that mounted it to the window out a centimeter or so, knocking all of the settled dust of the walls of his borrowed apartment. Nick watched as a hole was torn through the side of the rhinos neck, making the rhino fall straight down, Nick knew that he was dead even before the bullet tore through the other side of his neck leaving a red cloud behind the rhino, but he kept his sights trained on the suspect. Allies voice cut through the thick un-natural silence that was left in the gunshots wake,

"Suspect down, Move in,"

Nick then saw Judy open her eyes, she started to tremble and then fell to her knees and began crying, if it was because of Artie's death or her near death experience Nick didn't know… all he wanted to do was run to her and comfort her but protocol wouldn't allow that. Nick felt a paw on his shoulder, he turned to his hyena spotter who was waiting for him, she gave him a quick nod. Nick then pulled the magazine from his gun placing it on the ground next to him, he then pulled back the charging handle back releasing the remaining shell that was in the chamber. Nick then took a zip-tie from Allie and wrapped it around the trigger so that it couldn't be pulled. Finally he turned to Allie and held out his wrists to be cuffed, he didn't speak as that was the protocol. Nick never understood why this was normal for snipers, he was doing his job if SWAT had stormed the bank and killed Artie that was a different story, it was considered self defense, but when a sniper who was not in danger killed a suspect there was a whole investigation. Nick knew he did the right think and right now he was all adrenaline, he knew that he would do the same exact thing if the situation ever happened again.

"It was a good shoot Nick, know that," Allie stated, as Nick just nodded,

"Ok I want this whole place roped off, and a team to go and do the same from Nicks vantage point, get a paramedic to check out Officer Hopps and Allie…Take Nick to the ZPD special investigations is waiting for him," Bogo's voice was flat doing nothing to reveal his emotions, "Good shot Nick."

Nick spaced out as Allie led him away from the apartment as two cops started to tape of the area and collect Nicks gun. Nick was walked down the stairs, and then out the door of the building, his mind was still blank as he started to process the events that had just happened. He stopped walking when he came across an ambulance with a rabbit wrapped in a blanket sitting on it, he knew that there was something important about her but he couldn't quite place what. Allie gave him a gently push,

"Nick you can talk to her later but we have to go,"

Nick let her lead him past the bunny who was saying something to him, but to the fox all he heard was buzzing. Allie finally brought him to a running squad car with a tiger in the drivers seat, Nick was lead to the back seat where he sat down and stared blankly out the window. He barely noticed when the car started moving, he caught sight of two officers taping of the area in-front of the bank and another officer pulling an emergency blanket over a body laying on the concrete. Small pieces of information started to come back to the fox after the car drove away from the crime scene.

 _'I was doing something for work…,'_ he started to look around until his eyes fell on his police badge, _'Oh yah Im a cop…_ '

After a couple more seconds of hard thinking, the tod was able to brush most of the cobwebs away from his mind. Nick remembered Judy walking into the bank, and then he remembered her with a rhino looming over her with a gun.

 _'Right the bank… Artie, needed money… then I shot him…'_

Nick looked around for the gun he was responsible for when he couldn't find he started to panic, but calmed down a moment later,

 _'Oh Im under investigation now… they took it… so that means I must be on my way to the ZPD… I hope Judy is ok she looked pretty shook up…'_

Nick's mind finally caught up to the present moment just as the cruiser pulled up to the ZPD. The tiger got out and walked to the back door and opened it for the fox, because police cruisers didn't have handles on the inside, for obvious reasons. Nick was then lead through the lobby of the ZPD where a concerned looking cheetah caught sight of him, the portly feline opened his maw to speak but was stopped by the tiger,

"He cant speak until he is questioned,"

"Oh ok," the cheetah looked crushed at not being able to comfort one of his friends,

Nick was lead into one of the interrogation rooms before the tiger removed his cuffs,

"Your lawyer will be here soon ok… and uh good job," the tiger said before he left Nick alone in the room,

Nick sat for what felt like ages in-front of the steel table of the interrogation room, the adrenaline was finally fading and with its departure his emotions came back, he found it harder to process those than it was with the straight facts.

 _'Am I angry…no thats not it… sad maybe…yah a little I feel sorry for Artie he didn't deserve to die, but rather him than Judy… wow what is that,'_ Nick thought as a large surge of emotion pass through him, _'…relief…yah relief I'm so glad Judy is ok, I think I am actually a little mad at her but mainly relieved … there is something else too but I just cant figure it out,'_

Nicks thoughts were cut off when an grey wolf in a suit walked into the interrogation room,

"My name is Justin Greymore, from the special investigations unit,"

Nick was still trying to understand what he was feeling so he didn't answer right away, when he was able to form some words he was cut of by the wolf again,

"I need your vest," the wolf said gruffly,

Nick knew that this was the protocol for collecting evidence so he complied, but instead of undoing his vest he started work on removing his radio,

"No your vest,"

"Oh right, sorry," The fox then started to remove the correct piece of equipment, placing it on the table when he was done,

"Now your shirt and utility belt and pants," the wolf said as he passed some clothing to the fox to put on after he removed his current garments,

Nick started to remove his clothing when another mammal entered the room, a deer this time,

"Greymore what the hell, your not supposed to start without me," The deer said while extending a hoof to the fox, "I'm your lawyer, you can call me Dylan, did you say anything to him yet,"

"Im uhh no I didn't," the fox said,

"Good this is a straight forward case," the deer said,

All three mammals then sat down at the table, Dylan and Nick on one side and Greymore on the other. Greymore was the first to speak,

"Did you use everything in your power to deescalate the situation at the bank,"

"Yes, of course he did you saw the news, Just give us the use of force form and leave," the deer answered,

"Officer Wilde are you certain that there were no alternatives to lethal force," Greymore stated,

That question made Nick angry,

"What alternative huh… letting Judy get shot," the fox stated in a low growl,

"Look ill question him so you will go away ok," the deer stated, "Nick did your department try and negotiate with the suspect?"

"Yes,"

"Would nonlethal's have worked on the suspect,"

"No, Not before he could kill Hopps, that is why I had a lethal weapon in the first place,"

"Ok questions done, Now get out of our fur Greymore," the deer said, Nick decided that he was starting to like the deer and his no-nonsenses attitude,

"Fine," the wolf said calmly, "Nick as of now you are under investigation until we have determined that excessive force was not used… In the meantime go spend some time with your family,"

Nick flenched at the mention of his family, but let it slide because the wolf couldn't have known about that. Finally the wolf left and after speaking with his lawyer for a little while, Nick got up to leave,

"Oh and Nick," the deers voice cause Nick to look back, "There is a bunny waiting for you outside, I think she is the one you were speaking of,"

"Uhh thanks,"

 **Judy Pov**

Judy had been waiting outside of the interrogation room for the past forty-five minutes waiting for Nick to come out. After she had got over her initial shock she started to worry about Nick, she remembered his blank expression when he walked past her when she was siting on the ambulance,

' _Cuffed like a criminal…"_ Judy thought with distaste, ' _And know he is being interrogated for saving my life,"_

Judy was interrupted from her thoughts by the sound of a door opening, she looked up expecting to see Nick but instead she saw a grey wolf the same one she saw enter the room a while ago. He gave her a nod and kept walking down the hall. Judy waited another ten minutes until the door opened again this time a red fox stood in the threshold of the door.

"Nick!" Judy hopped up from her chair and embraced the fox in a strong hug, pressing her face against his chest. Nick just stood there with his arms beside him. Judy held the fox at arms length and looked up at his face, she saw a emotionless expression on his face.

"Hay Judy… Im going to go home now ok," With that statement the fox pulled away from the confused bunny and started to walk out the doors of the ZPD.

He stopped in the hall and stood still for a moment, he then turned back and gave the bunny a proper hug.

"Sorry, I'm trying to sort things out right now and I'm glad you are ok… How about you meet me at my place… you should probably shower you have some uh blood on your fur,"

"Oh ok, see you there… are you taking the cruiser?"

"No Ill take a taxi I don't want to get into another cruiser today…"

With that the fox started to head to the doors again. After watching his tail disappear behind the door Judy headed to the showers.

Judy felt the hot water from the shower-head pummel out some of the tension in her neck as well as washing the small specks of blood that was over a most areas of her fur that was not covered by her uniform. Soon after Judy started to scrub a rather matted spot on her ear she feels another presence in the shower-room.

"Hay, Judy. Nice ass!" a female voice chuckled to her right.

Such a blatantly inappropriate comment caused Judy to spin towards the owner of that voice in indignation, her ears turning hot, while she scrambled to cover herself with her paws. This must have amused the other mammal as she broke into a fit of giggles which her species were known for. She saw the hyena from the bank staring at her with one paw on her hip and the other on the wall she was leaning against. She was light brown with darker spots of black and dark brown down her back and smaller spots on her face, her belly and inner thighs were spot free as well as being a light grayish brown.

"Oh calm down, I'm not into gals but that doesn't mean I can't recognize a fine piece of tail when I see it,"

Judy could only stare with her mouth open at the comments this hyena… _Allie was it…_ was making.

"You might wanna close your mouth, I'm hot but I'm not _that_ hot," Allie started to chuckle again.

"But…I…you…I was not staring! You just surprised me with your… your…remarks!" Judy managed to stutter out.

The hyena turned away from Judy so that she could start washing her fur. Judy did the same, rubbing shampoo deep into her fur with her dull claws. Every once in a while glancing at the hyena to make sure she wasn't ogling at her butt, during one such glance she noticed that Allie was missing something that female hyenas were know for.

 _'Huh I thought all hyenas had them not just the males,'_ Judy said to herself.

"So you and Nick huh," Allie said in an irritating, matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh, no we are…"

"Nick likes you, I can tell I think you would make a cute couple," she said over her shoulder before she started to rake her teeth through her fur to brush it out.

Judy assumed that because the hyena was fresh from the academy that she didn't know about bunny's and the C-word,

"You know a rabbit can call another rabbit cute, but when…"

"Oh, lay your fur down hun, I know about calling rabbits cute, I was talking about you as a couple with the fox, although…" Allie proceeded to eye Judy up and down with one eyebrow raised.

 _'Has she no shame…"_

"Anyhow, let me get to the reason I followed you in here," the hyena stopped her grooming to give the bunny a serious look,"

 _'What the hell! She actually followed me into the shower,'_

 _"_ You did a good job at the bank, in the academy they taught me to try and trick the perp into doing something that puts us in a position to take him down. It's almost unheard of for someone to actually persuade them to release all of their hostages, so stop betting yourself up about it, kay hun."

And with that the hyena turned of her water and walked out of the shower-room and towards the lockers, leaving a flustered bunny in her wake.

"Allie wait," Judy said as she chased the hyena to the lockers.

"Sup," The hyena said as she spun on her heels to give Judy a very toothy smile,

The shear size of her teeth stunned the rabbit for a second, her prey instincts kicking in for a brief second before she regained her composure. Allie seemed confused by her reaction, before her eyes widened and she put both paws up to her face, when she removed them she had a kind toothless smile on her face.

"Oh I'm sorry hun, forgot that I am not supposed to smile with my chompers showing," the larger female said with a nervous chuckle.

"Oh no its ok, you have a very pretty smile." the comment causing the hyena to show more teeth with delight, "I just wanted to say thanks for telling me all that in the shower," the rabbit said as she pointed with her thumb over her shoulder at the shower.

"Oh no problem hun, you have a rocking bod. Nick is lucky." Judy felt her ears warm up again at the mention of Nick and the tactless complement, but she pressed on with her explanation.

"No about the bank, but it's good to hear that I did something right… and Nick and I are not together."

"Yet," the other female coughed, "and no problem, if you or Nick need anything just let me know, I still owe him one."

With that the females dried of and got dressed, Judy couldn't help but to look at the other female and wonder why she didn't have a certain appendage.

"Its a surgery when we are pups, those things made childbirth and sex a giant pain, not to mention dangerous. The surgery became common place about eighty years ago, when it became safe enough."

 _"Crap she saw me staring,"_

 _"_ Sorry, I didn't mean to stare," Judy said embarrassment radiating from her ears.

"No prob hun, I would stare to, most mammals still don't know that the surgery exists and assume all us hyena galls are packing. Although some still do because their parents refused the operation for some reason." Allie shrugged and started to walk to the door, now fully clothed.

"See ya hun," was the last thing Judy heard before the door swung closed behind the hyena.

"Well, that was quite the experience." Judy said out loud.

' _My ears are going to be red for a week because of her, but for some reason I like her… she just seems honest…maybe a little to much so."_ Judy thought as she tried to rub the embarrassment out of her ears.

 **Nick POV**

'Why do I feel so bad… I mean I turned down a hug from Carrots, that has to stop… it has to be this other emotion… I need to figure out what it is,'

"Hay I said this is your stop," the cheetah cabbie shouted through the privacy window,

"Oh uh sorry here," Nick exited the taxi after he handed the cabbie his fare,

Nick started to walked to his apartment in the Unity complex, trying to come up with a name for the emotion that was plaguing him. Finally he reached his 277 and opened the door, when he walked in he was greeted by a large apartment. The living room had dark brown carpet, with a brown couch and a love seat with a small glass-top coffee table. A 42inch flatscreen was set in-front of the furniture on the far side of the room right beside the hallway that led to the bathroom and two bedrooms. Nick was able to afford it because of all the money he had hustled from mammals and sometimes it made him feel a little guilty.

'Thats it!… guilt… I feel guilty,'

The realization seemed to agitate the emotion that was coiled up in Nicks mind. As if the thought of its name had woken it from slumber. Suddenly, his legs lost their strength and

as his mind was overwhelmed by guilt, he fell to carpet of his apartment as the days events finally hit him in full force.

'I _killed another mammal… he just wanted to save his mother, if I was in his situation I would probably do something similar…'_

Nick felt a dark cloud building around his mind, whispering things in his ear, things like _killer_ and _Monster._ Nick curled up in a ball and whimpered as he tried to force the guilt away trying to hide behind the walls he build over so many years, but to no avail because he wasn't trying to hide his emotions from others… this time he was trying to hide them from himself. He could feel himself starting to believe more and more of the lies his mind was forcing upon him,

 _'I guess in the end… I am a murderer…'_


	2. Chapter 2

JUDY POV

Judy pulled her cruiser into the parking garage of Nicks apartment complex, the ride over had been dull and the lack of her fox companion made her feel lonely, though his scent that lingered in the fabric of the cushions gave her some relief. It had taken her longer than she expected to get out of the ZPD, she had to give an incident report and talk to investigations about the shooting something she hated

' _Why couldn't they just leave Nick alone,'_

Judy sighed, she was exhausted and just wanted to sleep but there were more pressing matters at hand. She got out of cruiser and started to walk to Nicks apartment, for some reason the shadows that lined the sidewalk looked more menacing than usual, she chocked it up to her mind being exhausted from the days events. She was still a little worked up about her close call with death, something she hoped to resolve by talking to her fox, her talks with him always seemed to wash away her worries and leave her with a content feeling…and when the day was particularly bad he would let her cuddle up with him rubbing her ears until she fell asleep, she would alway wake up in the guest bedroom covered under a warm blanket.

 _'_ _Nick was also acting pretty distant with me earlier, I hope he is ok,"_ she thought while she stated walking up a flight of stairs.

Unlike most officer's at the ZPD, Judy had taken an optional PTSD course… which Nick of course teased her about saying that if there wasn't some work to do or class to attend she would create some. Judy didn't feel that way, and she cared to much to allow a fellow officer to hurt in silence without getting help, so she had taken the course.

 _"_ _One of the first symptoms is distancing yourself with your friends, or people who remind you of the event… he only hugged me as an afterthought today… but he did invite me to come over… so maybe he is ok…'_

Judy knew that she thought with logic, so when she had been spared from death she reasoned through her trauma thinking 'I could have died… But I didn't and that is all that matters', and although It worked well she knew that she would need to talk to someone about it to get it of her mind, preferably Nick.

 _'_ _But Nick is an emotional thinker, he has survived off of his instincts and how to read others emotions, as well as hide his own… but as much as he hates it he thinks with his emotion and uses them to guide him, that is one of the reason he left me during the press conference… and I just have to work through not dying, he has to work through killing someone… I will have to watch him,"_

Judy had finally rounded the last corner to Nick apartment when her ears pick up the sound of whimpering, she followed the sound to Nicks door that was cracked slightly. She knew that Nick always locked his door because of his past and having it ajar like this was very strange for him, and the whimpering was coming from his room. Slowly Judy pushed open the door but was stopped when the door hit something lying on the floor. Judy peered around the half open door to see her partner coiled up on the floor, whining and shaking in his sleep.

"Nick," Judy said as she rushed to his side, "Nick wake up,"

Judy began to shake the fox gently until he stopped whimpering and his eyes slowly opened. He looked distraught for a moment before she watched his walls fall down around him like a steel portcullis.

"Oh hay Fluff, " Nick said with a smirk, Judy did not look amused,

"Nick why did I come over to find you whimper on the floor, is there something you need to talk about,"

"No, no I'm fine Fluff… Just really tired I should go to bed and I-Ill see you tomorrow,"

"What no…"

' _Ohhh no you don't you slick fox… Im not going anywhere,"_

"No! You are going to sit you fluffy tail down on that couch and Im going to talk to you until I know exactly how you are feeling behind all of that 'Dont let them see that they get to you' crap, I didn't work on me before and it sure as hell isn't going to work on me now, so I _will_ have a talk with you and you will answer,"

As Judy continued to rant Nicks walls started to crumble, revealing more and more of the hurt he was feeling inside. Judy was about to start again when Nick spoke in a soft voice,

"You done…" the defeat in his voice was sickening, "did you ever think that I feel safe behind my walls huh… that they are the one place I go when there is nowhere else to hide…"

"I know Nick but you can't hide from yourself… right now I can see you suffering but I don't know exactly what you are thinking so I need you to tell me so that I can help, this can destroy you… I don't want this to follow you… so," Judy guided the fox to his couch where she pushed him down, she then hopped up next to him. She could see the fox avoiding contact with her, but she wasn't going to let him pull away like that so she cuddled up to his side until his body relaxed and he put an arm around her.

"…We are going to work through this and bring out the truth about what happened so that you feel better, in my class I heard many stories…and you will not become one of them… so talk," Judy waited for a response in silence all the while staring at the fox,

"I murdered him Judy…I am a killer," Nick said in defeat,

"You did kill him," that statement seemed to shock Nick, "but you did not murder him… think about what would have happened if you didn't… he would have killed me, then either you or another officer would have shot him… So the way I see it you saved a life because the suspect would have died anyway… if anything his death is on me for not getting him to surrender, I was the negotiator and,"

"Stop!" Nicks voice rattled around his apartment as he turned to face Judy, "I killed Artie his death is on me not you,"

"I wasn't saying that it was my fault Nick… think about it, if Artie wasn't poor than his mom would of had insurance… or what if his mom had a good heart to begin with… or what if the hospital didn't charge the better part of a million dollars to give a heart transplant…" Judy put her paw on the fox's face and made him look at her,

"The world killed Artie…you saved me," Judy said as Nicks face started to lighten, though the darkness in his eyes remained,

"Yah the worlds a Bitch," He said with some humor before his features turned back to neutral, "I fell a little better thanks,"

Nick gave a loving look to Judy,

"So how are you doing,"

"Im good…" Judy sighed, "Actually, I am confused… being that close to death put some things into prospective for me… it was like seeing my life from the outside, without any bias… and I am still trying to understand everything I saw…"

"What did you see?"

"I saw that I am happiest when I am with you…my would be last thought was of that time you made me coffee," Judy said as I smile accompanied her memory,

"I feel the same way… except I didn't have to almost die to realize it," Nick said with a smirk,

"Nick?"

"Yes?"

"You are seeing the department psychiatrist tomorrow,"

"But I a-"

"You are fine for now… just do it for me ok," she said as Nick stood up and started to walk to his room, Judy followed behind.

"I-Im going to head to the bathroom real quick,"

Judy nodded and continued to Nicks room, she had decided that she was sleeping on the floor so that she could listen to Nick sleep, she prayed that he wouldn't have anymore nightmares. When she reached the room she was surprised by how empty it was she had never been in his room before. The whole room contained nothing except a bed and a nightstand, although Judy did notice a duffle bag lying in the corner.

"Wow this place is empty," Judy said aloud, as she took of her foot wraps and walked to the guest room to grab a pillow and blanket, when she returned Nick was pulling the covers over his bare chest. Nick looked confused when he saw Judy walk into his room,

"What you doing Carrots,"

"I am sleeping on the floor,"

"What why, I have another bed, and you will not be sleeping on the floor,"

"Yes I will, unless you want me to sleep with you… because Im not leaving this room." Judy dropped he blanket and crossed her arms while daring the fox to argue with her.

"I um sure,"

"Thats what I th-"

' _Did he say sure… he wants me to sleep with him…"_ Judy's ears turned red at the thought of sleeping with the shirtless fox, she watched as he scooted towards the wall and turned his back to Judy.

"You uh might want to put the blanket between us because Im usually curled up with the other pillow when I wake up… and uh if you are here than I might,"

Nicks was stopped when he felt Judy slide into his bed, he felt a paw on his shoulder pulling him, he allowed the pressure to turn him around till he was lying on his back.

' _I cant believe that I am doing this… but I need him to be with me tonight… its not like we haven't done this before, I mean we have fallen asleep on the couch together enough times… though he always had a shirt on..,"_

Judy reached over Nicks bodying grabbed his arm she then twisted her body pulling his arm around her,

"I dont want either of us to be alone tonight," she said as she pushed herself against his chest.

"Uhhh I-I um… me either," Nick's pulled the rabbit to his chest and wrapped his tail around her,

"Uh Nick,"

"Yah?"

"What is in the duffle bag," She felt Nick tense against her again,

"Six thousand dollars, six shirts, six pairs of pants, my passport, underwear, socks, a jacket and a couple MREs."

The rabbit was stunned,

 _'_ _Why does he need that…'_ Judy twisted her head so that she was looking over her shoulder,

"Why?"

"I lived on the street for so long…alone…I lived everywhere and nowhere at all… I tried to settle down and put down roots here but… old habits die hard, so I have my bag… in my old life roots got you killed, so that bag is a way to sever my roots and leave if I have to…"

His word terrified Judy, she knew immediately that she hated that bag and everything that it stood for. At that moment she felt like Nick would leave her if she ever let him go again so she wrapped her arm around his arm and pulled it to her chest.

"You would leave me…"

"Judy…You are the only reason I stay… and I used to only keep three thousand in that bag,"

"What does that mean?"

"Nick?"

She twisted her head and saw that the fox was fast asleep dreaming peacefully. Judy decided that she would worry about that more tomorrow, that for now she had her fox and she was happy.

NICK POV

Nick pretended to be asleep after he had told Judy about keeping an extra three thousand in his go-bag now that he knew her.

 _'_ _What else am I supposed to do… tell her that she is to important for me to leave…that the three thousand was for her…that three shirts and three pairs of pants were her size… that I will never leave her… that I love her, yah that would go well…how could she love a killler…'_

Slowly Nicks thoughts put him to sleep, his mind was empty as he slept the only thing that his conscious mind was aware of was a stream of love flowing into him from somewhere. About halfway through the night something happened, he didn't know what caused it to but at in an instant the stream of love and happiness disappeared and the nightmares filled the void. Artie appeared in Nicks mind looming over him with judging eyes,

"Killer, Murderer, you killed me…that little rabbit will never love you, she actually cared about me she tried to help me and how did you repay her hard work… this," Artie said as his skin took the grey hue of death, and a bullet hole appeared in his neck,

"No, No lies! Go away, Judy said that I am not a murderer don't you dare twist her words!" Nick shouted at a rhino as Artie began to rot and turn to maggots. After a few terrible moments watching the rhino rot his decaying flesh shrunk and began to take a different form, the only thing that the fox could do was scream and cover his eyes with his paws.

"You mean my words fox!" Judy's voice said with a terrible amount of hate in them,

Nick pulled back his paws and looked up to see Judy standing in front of him,

"J-Judy w-whats wrong…"

"Don't say my name, you don't even deserve to _think_ my name you murderer!" Judy's voice screamed,

"But I-Im not I was just protecting you," Nick reached out to Judy to hold her to make her understand him, but Judy swatted his paw away In disgust,

"You are a monster…a murderer…I will never love you FOX!" Judy repeatedly accused Nick over and over for what seemed like hours, her word like daggers to Nick tearing into him causing physical pain. Nick tried to called out in anguish but no words escaped his muzzle, he was incapable of defending himself and was forced to listen, every time Judy spoke Nick believed her more and more, because it was Judy's voice speaking, finally Nick began to break,

' _If Judy thinks that then It must be true…I am a monster'_

"It is ok Nick I don't think that you are a monster" a sad voice whispered from the corner of his senses.

When the Judy in his mind was done screaming at Nick, he was sobbing and tearing at his fur wishing more than anything that he could free himself from this torment. He saw no more apparitions and there were no more voices to assail him, just terrible emotions. Guilt surrounded him like an ocean, but worse of all was the intense feeling of loneliness, Judy hated him and now she was gone… what more did he have to live for,

 _Iv been alone for so long that I forgot what it felt like to have a true friend…. and now she is gone… and I am alone…again._

He felt something wrapped in his arms, and although he did not know what it was, the figure gave him a small bit of comfort, a small bit of light in the darkness in his mind. Nick wrapped his arms around that small light, as if he was trying to pull it into himself. The longer he held onto the figure in his arms, the brighter that light became, chasing the dark shadows of his mind away. He felt like he held on to that small glimmer of hope and comfort for ages, until slowly the figure of light in his arms started to take form. At first he thought it was just his tormented mind playing tricks on him, until slowly his senses started to come back one at a time. The first sense to return was his sense of smell, the fox was now able to detect the scent of the figure in his arms. It smelled oddly familiar, like a forest but with a slight hint of musk that gave him great comfort. He inhaled deeply, sticking his noes into the fur in-between his arms.

 _Wait….fur?_

He rubbed his paw up and down the entire length of the figure in his arms,

 _Yes definitely fur… it is so soft and thick… I think I know this fur_ … _Someone I know but who?_ …

After that initial contact of his nose to that soft fur his sense of touch started to return. Every brush of contact between his fur and the figures brought him closer and closer to understanding who he was holding.

 _I feel happy…. but I am never happy unless I am around…..JUDY._

The realization slammed him back into reality as his eyes sprung open to reveal none other than the most important mammal in his life. Her amethyst eyes staring up into his emerald ones with a smile on her muzzle.

 _Judy is here….in my arms…oh right we slept together…that was a dream?…but it was so real…_

Nick felt as well as heard a soft rumbling sound, vibrating into his chest.

 _What is that…._

 _is that coming from Judy, I'v never heard her do that before_

 _…_ _.wait is she purring… oh my god that is so adorable…_

That little realization shocked him while at the same time filled him with so much joy. He felt his heart start to hammer in his chest.

 _Judy didn't leave me…_ His ears started to raise from the back of his head, as his tail began to wag behind him.

 _''_ _She doesn't hate me, and she sure as hell isn't scared of me…she is still here…in my arms pressing against me a-and… she is purring,'_

He saw her droopy tired eyes turn to him, she looked like she was pondering something as her eyebrows were knitted together and she had her head tilted to one side.

 _'_ _Again that is adorable'_

Nick watched as her face relaxed and her eyes became heavy but just before she fell asleep she whispered three words.

"I love you,"

At first the fox was questioning his hearing, she had said it so quietly. Could that actually be possible,

' _She probably meant it in a platonic sense…but there is nothing platonic about nuzzling and she was doing that just fine…. it was probably because she was tired yah thats it…right,'_

Nick didn't have to worry about nightmares the rest of that night because his thought did an incredible job at keeping him awake, so the fox was left staring at the bunny in his arms with hope and uncertainty.

 **Judy POV**

Natures call woke Judy in the middle of the night, she slowly opened her eyes and tried to roll out of bed but a russet arm wrapped around her waist stopped her,

'Oh right I'm sleeping with Nick.' The thought caused Judy to blush slightly, _'Why am I embarrassed about that I have slept with him before,'_

After some strategic struggling and the occasion pulling back clawed fingers from her body, she was able to escape the fox's grip. When she rolled out of bed to stand up she heard Nick whimper slightly, causing her to smile.

"Its OK, Ill be right back," Judy said quietly with a chuckle,

She had to use the light from her phone screen to find her was to Nicks bathroom,

' _Sometimes I envy Nicks night vision…."_

When she finally found her way to the bathroom she flipped the light on, which caused her to squint in mild discomfort. She then hopped up to the toilet to relieve herself, once she was done she hopped down and began make her way back to Nick's room. She heard Nick whimpering before she even got halfway back,

' _Not again…'_

Judy quickened her pace to the fox's room, when she walked in, she used her phone to shine light onto the fox. She saw him pulling at his fur with his claws whimpering, his face was scrunched up as if he was in physical pain. It hurt the rabbit to see her friend like this, she could feel his pain as her own, she ran to his side and shook him roughly trying to wake him from his nightmare,

"Nick, Nick wake up!"

"If Judy thinks that then It must be true…I am a monster," Nick whimpered,

"It is ok Nick I don't think that you are a monster," Judy said in a crushed voice, she hated that somehow she was causing him pain, even if it was just a dream. She tried again to rouse him from his sleep, but soon gave up. She realized that he was starting to draw blood with his claws digging into his fur, Judy grabbed one of his paws and wrapped it around herself to hold it down and maybe give him some comfort with her proximity, because of the fox being much stronger than her she could only hold one arm. After a while holding the fox he stopped struggling and his cries turned into soft whimpers. Judy tried to stay awake for the fox but she was exhausted and sleep soon claimed her, her dreams were filled with the sound of Nicks whimpering.

Judy was awaken by a gentle squeeze from the russet colored arms that surrounded her. She knew how it would look if anyone walked in on them, but for some reason she didn't mind,

 _'_ _And what if we were mates, I couldn't think of anyone better than Nick, he will make a good mate to someone….'_

 _Why not you,_ a voice whispered to her,

' _Because he is a fox, and my partner,'_

 _'_ _So,'_ said the voice,

'So is not a valid argument… He is my best friend,'

'And?'

'And I trust him with my life….and I feel safe with him…and he makes me happy…and …. but he is a fox,'

'I didn't take you for a purist Judy,'

'I am not having this conversation with myself,'

The voice in her head just made an infuriating victorious sound,

'But he probably doesn't even think of me like that…'

Judy gasped when she felt a soft purple nose stick itself against the sensitive skin of her neck and inhale deeply, then she felt Nicks muzzle start to nuzzle itself against her neck.

'You were saying…' The voice said with a chuckle,

 _Oh my god Nick!_ She was about to shove herself away from Nick's advances until she saw the smile on his muzzle,

 _'_ _He looks pretty happy with you Fluff,'_ the voice said using Nick's name for her,

 _"_ _Stop, only Nick can call me that,'_

 _'_ _I am you… and why can only he say that to you… Clawhouser is your friend and he can't call you that,'_

 _'_ _I…well…'_

The fox kept rubbing his muzzle against the sensitive skin on her neck, causing the rabbit to gasp.

'Fine then If you don't love him why are you letting him nuzzle you…'

'Ok ok I do love the fox ok but It doesn't matter what I think… he needs to fell the same…and this is probably the closest I can get to him loving me,''

She snuggled closer to the fox as his hands started to roam across her back, starting at the back of her head and petting her all the way down to the back of her thigh. She gasped again as his paw brushed across her little tail and rum on the way back, causing her to start purring at his unconscious advances.

 _Maybe when he wakes up he wont mind continuing…. NO this is wrong… this feels like I am taking advantage of him I don't even know if he likes me that way…. or if he is open to an inter-species relationship._

Judy sighed as she opened her eyes, ready to wake the fox. But her body froze when she locked onto the emerald eyes with Nick her best friend and newly realized love.

The first thought she had was one of terror… _did I wake him with my purring …. oh no he is going to think that I am taking advantage of him in his sleep oh god the department would tease me out of my fur if this got out…but wait he doesn't look upset….he looks….happy?_

She started purring again, the involuntary response causing her ears to turn red with embarrassment.

 _Well, I don't know of a better opportunity to try this sooooo…. lets see his reaction shall we._

She trembled slightly at the thought of what she was about to do, her ears laid back and she closed her eyes as she started to rub her muzzle against his neck. She felt Nick tense as she started to nuzzle him. Her ears picked up his heart starting to beat faster.

 _Oh no, purring was embarrassing enough, but that is involuntary I could have played it of as me being happy that he is awake. But nuzzling is completely different there is no way I can come up with an excuse for that._

Then her internal panic dissipated as she felt Nick melt against her as his paws started to rub her back again, although now that the paws had a conscious mind guiding them they stayed well away from her tail. That fact disappointed Judy slightly, she was slowly falling back to sleep, maybe it was how tired she was that made her forget about the possible consequences of her words… or maybe it was her spontaneous nature but Just before she fell asleep she locked eyes with Nick and said the three little words that she had found to be truth,

"I love you,"

Nick POV

Nick felt Judy steer from her spot in his arms as soon as the sun hit her fur from the window. He watched as she stretched her arms and back while giving a wide yawn.

… _Should I pretend that nothing happened…maybe she was just tired and with the stress of yesterday she didn't say anything…_

Just as Nick was finishing his thoughts Judy's yawn was coming to an end, as her mouth closed her eyes were able to open and she locked her amethyst eyes on Nick.

' _Do you really want to risk losing this fox…even if she was tired and didn't mean to say what she did it doesn't change the fact that you should at least tell her how you feel…'_

 _"_ I uh well… last night you said, I well I thought that I should say something…I guess what I'm trying to say is that…"

"Its ok Nick I love you too," Judy said as she cuddled up as close as she could to Nicks side and began to purr.

"You uh are making this r-really hard to say… I don't love you as a friend Judy,"

He felt Judy stiffen in his arms,

"I uh really l-love you, and I cant think of anyone I would rather be with… I just needed to say that because if I didn't I would go insane… Im sorry I this screws things up between us," Nick looked down again and saw tears in Judy's beautiful eyes.

' _Good job now she is crying… you had to open your massive muzzle and blab and now she is going to leave… and I'll have to go back to hustling and in some ironic twist of fate Judy would arrest me and then…'_

Nicks internal panic was cut short by Judy nuzzling up against Nick's neck, after a few moments of Judy rubbing agains Nick she looked to him and spoke,

"Nick I meant what I said last night, I finally understood what I was missing when I had that flashback…you…I know that it sounds kinda cheese but without me thinking about how we are friends I realized that I will never love anyone more than you…"

"Your wrong… that was Incredibly cheese," Nick said with a smirk,

"Nick we were having a moment did you have to ruin the moment," Judy said with a slight scowl on her face.

"What if I just wanted to start a new moment?"

"Like wha-" Judy was silenced by Nick tightening his arms around her waist and pulling her close dressing her small frame against his body, he stared down into Judy's eyes and moved his muzzle forward drawing the small bunny into a passionate kiss. At first Judy's instincts told her to pull away but in a moment she had melted into Nick's kiss as she wrapped her wrists together behind his neck to pull him closer to her. Nick could smell her scent change slightly as she began to make soft sounds into Nicks muzzle. Nick knew that if the kiss continued much longer that it would be much harder to stop their momentum especially sense they were already in bed and Nick was shirtless. Nick forced himself to pull away from the kiss and had to hold Judy back to keep her from reinitiating it, which caused her to pout.

"Hay, don't start making sad bunny faces at me,"

"But why did you stop I was just starting to really enjoy that…" Judy said with another pout,

"Yes, I know sorry but we need to have a talk about this before we go any further,"

"Stupid lazy fox…never finishing what he starts…" Judy said accusingly while giving the fox a gentle shove,

"Hay you at least have to take me to diner first rabbit," Nick said with a smirk,

"Wow…,"

"Oh come on that was funny and you know it,"

"No what is funny is that you are in bed with a rabbit that you have just riled up and you are turning her down," Judy put the most seductive look she could manage on her face, "…And you know rabbits are great at multiplying,"

"OK! That is enough we have people to go and places to see," The flustered fox said as he nearly leapt out of bed, he turned around and found a laughing rabbit on his bed,

"Oh my god Nick, that was hilarious I have never seen you move so fast… I don't know if I should be offended or not… and its 'places to go and people to see'," Judy said as Nick walked around the corner to the bathroom,

"That is what I said,"

"No it isn't,"

"Ok how about this I go see the psychiatrist and you talk with Bogo then we can go walk the city for a while and talk,"

"But I don't want to _talk_ I want to play," Judy fell into another fit of laughter as she heard something fall and break in the bathroom,

"Stop screwing with me Judy I only had the one toothbrush holder!"

Judy couldn't help but to attempt to fluster the fox even more,

"Im not _screwing_ you… you wont let me," She stated and was quite satisfied as she heard a coughing sound from the bathroom,

' _Two can play at that game fluff…"_ Nick thought as he tried to recover his breath from where he had nearly inhaled his toothbrush,

Judy saw Nick appear in-front of the bedroom door once again,

"Ok…" Nick said as he started walking back to the bed,

"Huh," Judy blushed as Nick leaned over her and put a paw on each side of her head,

"I said OK… Im not going to wait any longer," Nick leaned over Judy and put his muzzle right next to her ear and husked, "I want my bunny now…," he said as he gave her a lick to the top of her head as well as a playful growl,

"I-I-I um w-we um well d-do… are you s-sure," Judy stammered out,

It took all of Nick's willpower to ignore the sharp increases in a certain musky scent in the room, and to not make his little show turn into something more than acting.

"HA that what you get for teasing me Carrots,"

"W-what," Judy said as she slowly fluttered her eyes open,

"We need to talk tonight, after we get everything done then we can see what happens," The fox said as he stood up and started to walk away,

"Great now I need a cold shower,"

"What was that Fluff," Nick's voice caused Judy's ears to turn redder than they already were,

"Nothing!" She shouted at the fluffy fox tail as it disappeared around the corner of the door.

"Ha, You can shower after Im done with mine,"

' _I will not admit it to her but I definitely need a cold shower,"_

 **Hope you like this chapter I enjoyed it, the next will be the setup for Wade and Allies date at the diner. And btw Nicks arrest after the shooting is as accurate to real life as I can make it... though the handcuffs may have been a small embellishment on my part.**


	3. Optionalchapter Intro for Allie and Wade

**Sorry about the posting error.**

 **This is an optional chapter, another chapter about Nick and Judy will be posted tonight. But I'm doing a short intro for my two OC'sWade and Allie**

 **Im going to have most chapters with only Wade and Allie be posted on another store called, Meek Wolf Happy hyena (until I come up with a decent name suggestions are welcome) Well anyway's here is one of the two chapter that will focus on Wade and Allie.**

Allie POV -The Night of Artie death

Allie had just parked her Hogley motorcycle in the Unity parking garage and was on the short walk to her apartment building, enjoying the fact that she was alive and her friends were too. She zoned out on her walk and when her mind came back to reality she was standing in-front of a door with 200 written on it. The door creaked slightly as she opened it to view a living room with navy carpet and brown furniture, with a 40 inch flatscreen tv mounted to a wall that was painted green. She knew that every color clashed, but she didn't care about what mammals thought, she liked the colors though see was starting to dislike the green. She hung her fake leather jacket on a hook behind her door and dropped her helmet on the couch on her way to her bedroom had tan walls with brown carpet and her bed had blankets the same pattern as her fur. She thought blending into her bed would be funny…though no-one ever came over except Nick on rare occasions.

"Today was rough, but it could have been worse… I mean Judy is alive and so are the hostages. Judy seemed to be fine, so she is probably in bed with her fox…lucky." Allie said aloud with a sigh,

The hyena then stripped down to her bare fur and slipped under her sheets. She grabbed the extra blanket she kept in her bed and pulled it to her chest, though it wasn't a mate, snuggling her blanket made her feel less lonely at night, she kept telling herself that the blanket was just a placeholder for her future mate though she doubted she would ever find someone. Though Allie was always happy, and spontaneous and exited when she was out, at night when she came home to her empty house to lay down in her cold bed… one thing always came to mind…loneliness.

Only a few people knew how lonely the hyena was at night one being Nick. She loved the world and life and she was joyed to wake up every day so that she could laugh and work, and ride her motorcycle…

"But without someone love and share all that with…what's the point,"

Allie sighed again,

"Maybe I am unapproachable…I am hot I think…, or maybe it is just because everyone thinks hyenas are crazy or dirty… Could it be because most mammals think we still have dicks, only a few who don't have the operation at birth have those though…No, bad Allie, you are beautiful and one day you will find someone and sweep him of his feet… maybe…" She started to laugh at the fact that she was scolding herself,

"Maybe just a little crazy… but who isn't," Her self-doubt was swept away by her humor just as quickly as it had came.

She pulled her blanket close and her amber eyes fell as she drifted of into sleep, having dreams of her future mate, her dreams were blurry and she couldn't tell what species he was but one thing remained constant, he always had white fur.

"I like white fur…it looks so soft and fluffy," she mumbled in her sleep.

WADE POV

"I am so sorry! Let me get you a towel," a white wolf in a waiters uniform with Abe's Eatery embossed on the front said to a couple of moose that he had just spilt a tray of soda on.

"Just leave, you dumb fucking wolf, you'v done enough," The male replied as he stood up from his seat towering over the wolf.

"I-I am sorry It was an accident, I ca-"

"I want to see your manager!" the moose said as he shoved a hoofed finger into the wolf's chest,

"I-I d-didn't…well… I ok," The wolf said with a frown as he turned to walked towards the kitchen, dodging waiters as he walked. He looked around until he spotted a cheetah in her mid thirties, her lips pulled back in a half growl, he walked up to her with his tail between his legs and his eyes and ears pointed to the ground. Everyone knew about how Amber managed…she was known for being cruel to her waiters and staff… it being common place for waiters to work twelve hour shifts without breaks or lunches,

"Uh Amber, The c-customers at table 212 w-wants to talk to yo-" the wolf began in a quiet voice, that ended in a slight whimper when he was cut off.

"You screwed up again didn't you, you dumb!…stupid, freakin wolf!…" the cheetah had to stop and control her fury somewhat as she lost her ability to talk, "What was it this time! Huh! Did you mess up another order… or maybe you took to long to great them…SPEAK you spineless excuse for a waiter!"

"I uh spilt a t-trey of d-drinks on them," Wade managed to whimper out,

"You…give me your tips…" the Cheetah said as she bared her teeth at the waiter,

"W-why…"

"Because I am going to keep them, and you are leaving…I will give you one last chance tomorrow and If you get one complaint you will be without a job,"

"B-But I need those tips! My landlord increased my rent and I-I am b-behind… you c-cant do this…"

"I _can't!_ Are you trying to get fired…," She swiped the handful of bills the wolf was clutching and stomped towards the table with the moose,

"But now… I can't eat tonight," the wolf whimpered as he removed his name tag and apron and started for the door, he was nearly to the door when the wolf felt a large paw land on his shoulder,

"Hay Wade…"

"Huh," The wolf jumped slightly at the contact,

Oh its just you… I guess you saw that huh," The wolf said to the large tiger who was holding his shoulder. The tigers name was Justin, and he was one of the few friends Wade had.

"Its fine, everyone drops a trey every once in a while… Amber is just a bitch… here," The tiger reached down and pulled out his order book and took out a stack of bills handing them to the wolf, "Take it…"

"I-uh… No."

"Wade, take the money… I know you need it, when is the last time you ate huh…"

"I had a sandwich for breakfast yesterday… before I ran out of bread," His response horrified the tiger, which grabbed his paw and placed the money in it,

"You know I still owe you, and consider this a reverse mugging…you are taking my money or I'm going to claw you," The tiger said,

"No, you don't. I told you you don't owe me anything,"

"When I got evicted you let me live with you for a month… even with your salary you supported me, please let me pay you back, it's not much but it should help. I wouldn't even have this job without you,"

"Me making you work here is what makes us even…" the wolf said with a weak smile as he accepted the money,

"Thank you Justin," The wolf had a look of complete gratitude on his face, as he stared at the small stack of bills in his hand.

"Justin get your striped ass back to work before I have your apron!" Ambers voice echoed from the kitchen,

"Uh Well, I got to go, see ya Wade," With that Justin spun and began attending to his tables.

"Thanks Justin," Wade said in a soft voice,

Wade exited Abe's Eatery, while throwing on his jacket. He then began his walk down the icy streets of Tundratown to the subway, it was getting pretty late at night but it was still light enough to see without streetlamps.

' _I really need a new job, I'm a terrible waiter…if it wasn't for my damned shyness…,'_

While he was frowning at himself for his luck in life he heard rough breathing, it sounded as if someone was freezing, drawing sharp shuddered breaths. Wade turned a corner to see a ferret in tattered clothing shaking behind a trashcan, curled up in a ball, the ferret looked thin and no more than twenty.

' _Though it could always be worse…'_

Wade hated how the other towns would chase the homeless away from bridges and allies, the only reason Tundratown didn't was because of the cold, only the most desperate animals would try to sleep here. Whenever he saw a poor mammal like this on the street he wanted to take them home so that they could have a good nights sleep and a meal, but his landlord told him that if he did that again he would be without a home himself.

The wolf reached into his pocket and pulled the money Justin had given him out. He counted it and realized that the tiger had given him eighty dollars, thirty of which he placed back in his pants pocket, while the other fifty he put in his jacket pocket. He then took of his jacket and draped it over the ferret, he folded it once so that the larger jacket would provide two layers for the small mammal. He turned to leave when he felt a small paw crab the back of paw.

"Th-t-thank y-you," the ferret said in a weak voice,

"There is a shelter on Snowfall Avenue… its not much but they have heating…I wish I could do more…"

"Thu-thank you," the ferret said in a clearer voice as he began to warm up,

"Don't mention it… but if you are ever in a position to help someone else…remember today,"

Wade left the ferret in the ally and finished the short journey to the subway, he shivered slightly from not having a jacket any longer. The ride was short and he soon arrived at his apartment complex, its real name was Restful, but the tenants called it the Ice-box because of the constant heating problems it had. The wolf walked through the halls of the building until he reached his apartment, number 178. He opened the door and walked into his bare living room, all he had was grey carpet and an old black couch, his walls were white but dirty from age. Wade immediately walked to the kitchen and to his white fridge, after opening it he stuck his muzzle through the door, hoping that somehow food had appeared on the empty shelves. He found half a jar of pickle relish and some single packs of ketchup. The wolf sighed as he closed the door to the fridge and walked over to the corner cabinet next to the sink and opened the two panel door. The wolf was not surprised when he found the cabinet to be absolutely bare but some small part of him had to make sure, so he reached a paw into the cabinet and groped around, running his pads around the corners of the wood.

' _Well, no surprises here…wait!'_

The wolf felt something in the back corner of the cabinet just out of eyesight it was round and cylindrical. The wolfs paw shook as he slowly removed the previous item from the cabinet,

' _Mabye It's a can of beans…o-or maybe some tofu hotdogs…or m-mabye if I am lucky some caned peaches…'_

The wolf finally got the nerve up to look at the prize in his hand, it read cup'o'ramen.

"Yes!" the wolf couldn't contain his excitement at his marvelous find and he held it with both hands as though if he let go it would disappear into thin air. He removed the lid gingerly and filled the cup with water to the fill line and placed it into his microwave. Soon after he was licking the inside of the cup, trying to lap up every last salty drop of broth. The wolf couldn't remove the smile from his face at having a warm meal. Afterwards he walked straight to his bedroom, which had the same grey carpet and a bed. He laid down without removing his clothing, and thought about the days events while licking his lips to get any remaining taste from the noodles. And though he knew that he had eaten the last morsel of food he owned, and only had thirty dollars after rent to buy food, his last thoughts before he fell asleep were of the ferret he had found on the street.

 _'I hope he is ok, I wish I could have shared those noodles with him.'_


	4. Chapter 4

**I know I promised that I would post this yesterday but I fell asleep on my laptop while I was finishing it. So the reason I didn't fulfill my promise to my beloved readers was because I was unconscious. SO ya**

 **JUDY POV**

Judy banged on the bathroom door,

"Nick you said you needed a shower an hour ago, hurry up I want to get he ZPD over with,"

"Almost done Fluff, I have a lot more fur to wash than you do,"

"uhhh," Judy groaned as she banged her head against the bathroom door.

TH

"You could join me?" Nick said in a incredibly sarcastic voice,

"Nick I can hear your smirk… and I thought I was the _reason_ you needed a shower in the first place,"

"Can we please put the mornings events in the past I mean we were tired and…." Nicks voice sounded uncertain from the other side of the door,

 _'Is he saying that all that was just a-a …mistake… '_

In the background the water stopped running and the fur dryer started,

 _'Sure, I didn't want to mate him right then and there…. but I did mean it when I told him I loved him… and i thought he meant It too….mabye he was just tired and misread his own emotions…I -I guess that I should just go along with it, I cant loss his friendship….'_

"O-Ok Nick, I uh guess I was tired to you are r-right lets just forget last night," Judy thought she was able to hide he sadness in her voice from the fox well, though a tear rolled down her cheek,

"What?" Nick said as he opened the door to the bathroom, to find a startled, droopy eared rabbit,

As he saw her droopy ears and the dark line down her cheek Nick's face fell,

"Oh no-no-no, Judy I don't want to forget about last night," Nick said as he got down on his knees so that he was eye level with the bunny, placing a paw other shoulder while the other held his towel together,

"No its fine you were tired and so was I," Judy managed to force her words sound and put on a pitiful smile,

"Judy, I love you… and just so you know you said you love me to… I meant about this morning, we were in a tense and emotional situation, I just want to let both of us cool of before we jump straight to life-mates,"

"Mates?… wait Did you think I was serious…That I'm _That_ kind of bunny!…"

"Judy…I said Life-mates…and I know you were kidding…. I think…"

"Life-mates?" Judy asked in amazement,

"Uhh Well," Nick rubbed the back of his neck, "Foxes mate for life…meaning that if I mated with you …"

"Oh …you know despite our reputation most bunny do too… uh," Judy let out a nervous laugh,

"H-how about we talk more on our walk…" Judy started to blush, "You need clothes,"

"What you mean Fluff, I have…" Nick looked down and saw that he only had a towel on,

"Oh,"

"Now move you have been in the bathroom forever! And you smell like a wet fox,"

Nick slowly stood up while making sure that the towel stayed in place, but he remained in the doorway,

"Well Carrots, I wonder why I smell like a wet fox….hmmm….could it be because I am a wet fox, and I washed my fur for like an hour how can I smell bad?"

"I didn't say you smelled bad, I said," Judy jumped up and gave the fox a peck on his cheek which caused both mammals to blush, "I said you smelled like a wet fox,"

Judy slipped round the fox and pushed him out the door before she closed it a little to close to the end of his fluffy tail, causing him to yelp and pull it to his body. The door flung back open as quickly as it had shut,

"Nick! Im soo sorry are you ok?" She had concern written all over her face, until she saw the foxes face which was scrunched up with his mouth slightly open and eyes wide as he was holding his tail to his chest. Once she was sure that her fox was ok, and that she didn't remove his fluffy appendage from his body, she broke down laughing.

"You should see your face!"

"Yah har har, You get this close to losing your tail and you would make the same face!" The fox said accusingly while dropping his tail, and put both hands on his waist,

"I don't have that problem," Judy said with a smug grin as she turned her waist so that she could wiggle her small tail at the fox, Though when she looked up from her own tail she saw Nick with his paws on his hips. She then noticed that in his frustration with almost loosing his tail he had forgotten about his towel which was now in a heap on the floor. The bunny eyes widened as she saw what the fox was packing, she was usually very embarrassed when confronted with naked mammals but usually she was ok with Nick in various forms of undress, though she had never seen him naked, and all of her awkwardness returned in force. She let out a startled squeak and turned around and slammed the door to the bathroom closed, leaving a very confused fox in her wake. She stood there with her back leaning against the wall,

' _I saw Nick naked… and if we do decide to be mates than that thing might be a problem,'_

She blushed even harder at that thought, as she unconsciously looked down at herself.

"Ok I need a shower….a very, very cold shower,"

NICK POV

' _What was that about?'_ Nick thought as he stared at the door that Judy had just rushed behind, the fox then walked back to his bedroom, he walked over to his closet grabbed a hawiian shirt and a pair of khakis. He then walked over to his nightstand where he kept his boxers, which he put on.

'She looked so flustered almost like at the naturalist club…but there were no naked mammals… I had a towel on…'

Nick looked around for his towel to confirm his own thoughts, but his face reddened slightly when he didn't find it where he usually tossed it, which was a corner in his room.

"Oh no, not good," Nick whimpered to himself as he peered around the corner of his door so that he could look out into the hall, and there it was…tight in-front of the bathroom door was his grey towel,

"Well, thats that…. great job you already screwed up…,"

 _'I wonder what she thought, I mean I am like twice her size sooo…. oh crap now she is probably scared….'_

 _'Hay Nick," Nicks rational self said into his mind,_

 _'What…'_

 _'Shut up… just pretend it didn't happen,'_

 _'Oh good idea… lets do that,'_

 _'Im welcome,'_

 _'Thank me,' Nick thought with a smirk,_

Nick finished dressing himself and decided to wait in the hall for Judy, he leaned against the wall across from the bathroom door and listened to the water bounce off of Judy's fur, he thought he heard her humming but couldn't confirm. After a while he heard the fur-dryer start, and waited for Judy to emerge from the bathroom. after a short wait longer she did. The bunny was wrapped in a fox sized red towel that draped over her body like a dress.

"Well, Fluff, you saw me naked so it's only far if I see you naked as well," the fox said with a smirk. While inside he was panicking.

 _'This is NOT what we discussed!'_ The voice in his head screamed,

 _'I know, I know me and my big mouth,'_

"Har Har Nice try fox, but the only way you get to see this cotton tail nude is if we are life-mates….'

' _Disaster averted…_ '

"Good, because I want to be with you forever… I'v already decided that… the only reason I wanted to wait was because I wanted to make sure _you_ wanted that…and even if you don't I will still be your friend, because there is no way I could live without you in my life in some form… Nick didn't know how he had steered the conversation from joking to serious so quickly but he felt that he needed to say that, he looked up from his paws and saw a stunned Judy with tears in her eyes, she took a quick step and put her fox in a strong hug.

"Damn it Nick now I'm going to have tear-matks in my fur,"

"Its not my fault that you bunny are so emotional,"

"Thats not far! You are always involved in making me cry,"

"True, True. but you know you love me," The fox sad, he waited for a response but none, about fifteen seconds passed but it felt like hours to the fox, his mind was grasping at reasons why she would hesitate in answering but he could come up with none except that she didn't love him,

"Im sure…" Judy spoke in a confident tone

"What,"

"I said I am sure… I wanted to think for a second to make sure that I was giving you an honest answer…I am sure,"

"About what?" The fox said with a baffled expression, which was rarely seen on the fox,

"About this," the bunny grabbed Nicks tie and pulled him down to her level, once he was nose to nose with her she stood on her toes and rubbed the bottom of her chin over the top of Nicks head,

"What are you doing Judy… I promise i washed behind my ears,"

Judy didn't respond but instead she stepped back and watched the fox's reaction, at first he just looked at the bunny infant of him in confusion, his head was tilted to one side.

 _'What is she up to…'_

Judy watched as Nicks eyes zoned out a little like he did when in deep thought, usually thinking up jokes or pranks to annoy the bunny. She watched as his nose began to twitch as he began to sniff the air, first around himself and then he leaned forward and sniffed at the bunny, who laughed at the ticklish feeling of Nicks nose. The fox's eyes widened in realization,

 _'She couldn't have…could she….maybe she doesn't know….'_

"Uh Judy d-did you just mark me?… You know that only mates do that right…."

"You stupid fox, I told you…I…am…sure," She watched as a large, genuine smile speed across Nicks muzzle,

"If you really love me you wouldn't mind me doing this," As Nick spoke he pulled the bunny forward into a hug and ran his cheek across Judy's, causing the bunny to blush,

"Now you have my mark…and I finally get to do this," Nick leaned forward and gave Judy a quick nip on her collarbone,

"Ow… what the hell Nick, we were having a moment," The rabbit shoved Nick slightly,

"Sorry Judy, its a love-bite foxes do it sometimes…its kinda involuntary with our mates … I have uh been fighting the urge to do that sense the time under the bridge,"

"Oh well…" Judy pulled her ears down to hide a blush,

"We have places to go and uh you don't have any clothes on, though I am not complaining by any means, though I think Bogo would if you show up to the precinct in a towel,"

"So are we going to the precinct or to get food?" Nick said through his bedroom door where Judy was changing into some civilian clothing she kept at his place in case of an emergency,

"We didn't eat yesterday, lets go get some food at Tundratown, I don't really feel like going straight to the ZPD and I like the drive its pretty,"

"Yah when you aren't hiding from the mob," Nick said bitterly,

"Nick you know that we are good with , I'm his goddaughter," Judy said as she walked out of Nicks room wherein a pink blouse and a long-sleeve plaid shirt with jeans.

"Anything for my bunny, lets go I'm starved,"

Nick found himself in a little diner called Abe's Eatery. Nick and Judy were greeted by a tiger upon entering and were lead to a booth, in the corner upon request.

"My name is Justin, if you need anything just ask, though Wade will be your waiter." With that the friendly tiger walked away,

Judy sat down first as Nick slide n next to her on the same side, Judy then cranked the ratchet beside her seat until her seat was tall enough for her to see over the table. Nick and Judy held paws underneath the table basking in the warmth of their new relationship, though to most mammals it would have seemed as though they had been dating for months from how much they new about each other, and how they sometimes slept together…and never left each others side. After a brief wait a pure white wolf walked up to their table with his ears low and tail halfway between his legs. This wolf was about a foot taller than Nick, but with striking light blue eyes.

"H-hay guys, My name is Wade and I will be your server for today. Do you know what you would like to drink?" The wolf said with a nervous smile.

 _'_ _Huh, I cant think of the last time I met a shy wolf,'_ Nick thought,

"I'll have a water, and you don't happen to have carrot juice do you?" the fox asked.

"We sure do, would you like a glass?" Wade gave him a confused look, probably wondering why a fox wanted carrot juice.

"No but she would," Nick said while tilting his head towards the rabbit at his side.

"O-Oh I'm sorry miss I didn't see you there," the wolf's ears turned a little red,

"Don't worry about it Wade, Nick was blocking your view," Judy said with a gentle nudge to the fox by her side.

"Wait are you Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde?"

"Are we Zootopia's heroes why yes, yes we are." Nick replied with a smirk,

"Wow, How humble Nick," Judy gave the fox a disapproving look,

"Oh well I-I j-just wanted to say thank you…it was hard for me to find work and especially after everyone thought predators were going savage because of their biology,"

"Oh yah sorry about that," Judy said with some shame in her voice as her ears drooped slightly,

"For what? You ended it all It is probably the only reason I have this job,"

"Oh Thank you its alway nice to hear about mammals who we have helped,"

The wolf gave them a small smile and blush before turning back towards the kitchen,

"That has to be the shyest wolf I have ever seen…I mean how does he make it as a waiter?" Nick stated, while glancing over his menu.

"Nick, its Zootopia anyone can be anything," Judy said while giving the wolf a questioning glance over the top of her own menu, "he may be shy but he seems really sweet."

"Yah but it takes some thick skin to work as a waiter," the fox said with an awful lot of certainty In his voice that did not go unnoticed by the rabbit.

"Wait were you a waiter," Judy said with a surprised expression.

"There are many things that you don't know about…well after this morning I didn't really leave much to th-" before he could finish a soft voice cut him off.

"I have your drinks," the white wolf said as he placed them on the table, handing Judy her juice, "Oh I-Im sorry I didn't mean to interrupt I just…I…well… sorry." The wolf stuttered while rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding eye contact.

"Oh no its fine, we are ready to order anyways," Judy assured the wolf, who gave them a weak smile while opening a little flip book.

"Ill take the cricket sandwich with no tomatoes, and blueberries on the side if you have them if not just give me what normally comes with the sandwich," said the tod, while the wolf scribbled on his pad.

"And Ill have the caesar salad with extra carrots and croutons." Judy said as the wolf finished scribbling and put his book away.

"Um I know its not my place but…are you two dating, I saw you holding paws and …uh never mind sorry Ill go and put your order in," Wade's embarrassment could be seen easily through his white fur, as he turned to leave.

"What if we were?" the rabbit said leaving the poor wolf floundering for a response.

"Well I was just wondering because you looked cu… I mean like a nice couple and I could smell your marks." the wolf corrected himself when he remembered that he was talking to a rabbit, " I don't have a problem with inter-species couples… I mean if I limited myself to just my species I would have even less luck finding a mate… especially with my shyness… um anyway let me put your order in you guys shouldn't have to listen to me complain," the shy lupin quickly removed himself from the conversation, nearly jogging towards the kitchen.

"Fluff?" Nick said while staring at her with wide eyes.

"Yes, Nick?" the bunny said with her voice sounding almost as nervous as their waiter.

"I just realized that even though we aren't mates…"

"Nick we are mates we just haven't mated," Talking about mating caused the bunny's ears to turn red,

"Of course," Nick said while rubbing the back of her hand with a paw,

"As I was saying now that we are mates everyone will know, we can't hide this from Bogo…I mean smell us," The fox couldn't help having a worried look creep onto his muzzle,

"Ill tell Bogo when I go to talk to him today,"

"No we will talk to him together,

They ate in relative silence after the wolf dropped of their food. The meal was not fantastic nor was it terrible it just seemed average, but because it had been a while sense their last meal Nick and Judy were done in under twenty minutes. After Nick had finished savoring his last blueberry, they got up to pay their bill.

"Go on ahead Carrots, I have to go take care of something that I promised someone," the fox said vaguely as they were walking towards the door of the diner. He then turned on his paw pads and walked away from Judy towards their server.

"Hay Wade," Nick said,

"Oh… um if you have a complaint about your service you can tell my manager," the wolf his face fell and his tail dropped flat against the ground, he then pointed at a cheetah wearing a different uniform than him, "she is right over there."  
"No no no nothing like that you did fine, I just have a couple of personal questions for you," Nick said in a voice akin to a cars sales-mammal.

"Uh well sure I guess," the wolf said while rubbing his paw through the fur on his neck.

"First, how do you feel about hyenas?"

"Well, I don't have anything against them, if thats what you mean," Wade said while turning his head to one side to give the fox a strange look.

"Good, good…next question how do you feel about gorgeous females."

"Well, honestly they make me a little uncomfortable, I don't know what to say around them. But I guess I like them just as much as any other male." Nick almost felt sorry for making Wade so flustered… almost.

' _He will think me later…or she will give him a heart-attack.'_

"Great, hand me your book." Once the wolf complied Nick scribbled down a number on the top corner of it, underlining it twice.

"So it's a date then," the fox said with a note of finality in his voice.

"Wait! What do you mean a date," Wade said as his eyes went wide.

 _'_ _I have never hustled someone into a date before but I promised Allie so lets try,'_

"Well, that is the number to a beautiful hyena friend of mine. She has a thing for white fur, and I promised her that if I met a nice guy with white fur I would give her number to him, that means you. Now I also know that your shyness would usually make you incapable of calling her, which is why I am going to tell her about you so that she is expecting your call. That way If you don't call her it could hurt her feelings. So unless you want a pretty gall crying because of you…" Nick shrugged with his paws facing the ceiling, "you better call."

"I can't," the wolf said in a sad voice,

"Really you are going to make her so sad,"

"No I mean I actually can't… I don't have any money to pay for a date,"

"Here…" Nick handed the mammal a hundred dollar bill, "I cheated a lot of good mammals out of a lot of money in my past… its about time I started paying some of that back,"

The wolf was speechless for a few minutes staring at the money he was just given,

"D-do you think I really have a chance," the wolf said with worry on his face although his tail couldn't stop wagging.

"No idea, but it can't hurt right. Like I said she likes white fur but only expect that to get you so far," and with that Nick started to walk back to Judy, but Nick thought about one more piece of information he should tell the wolf, partially to prepare the wolf… and partially for the fox's amusement, "Oh one more thing, she is quite…forward… so be prepared for that."

JUDY POV

Judy watched as Nick talked to the wolf before taking his flip-book and scribbling something onto the top corner of it, the whole time the wolf looked very nervous although his tail was wagging slightly.

"Ok Fluff lets go," Nick said as he flipped his aviators on and walked past Judy.

"What did you write on his book?" the rabbit asked, while following him to the cruiser.

"Oh I was just setting him up with a friend of mine, I promised her I would a while ago… and I have a feeling that they will get along great," the fox said with a large mischievous smirk on his face.

"Who is this friend Nick," Judy asked.

"Oh just a hyena I went to the academy with," the fox said as he hopped into the drivers seat.  
Judy had a thoughtful look on her face while she jumped into the cruiser.  
"The only hyena in the ZPD is…" the rabbits eyes went wide and her ears turned red as she glared at the fox beside her.

"You set up that poor shy wolf with Allie!" Judy nearly shouted in an accusing tone, with her paws on her hips, "As in the hyena who's first words to me were

'Nice ass!'" Judy shouted as she started driving towards the ZPD,

"Yup," the fox said with a half lidded expression and smirk.

"B-but they are complete opposites Nick, they are not even the same species and…"

"We aren't the same species," Nick said in response,

"I uh…I guess you are right,

"I always am," Nick said with a smug look on his face, "Lets get going I have to get my head shrunk,"

"Nick don't call the psychiatrist a shrink they don't like that,"

"I know I know I pr-"

"Nick this is serious…please," Judy stopped the cruiser at a red-light and looked directly into Nicks eyes "please be honest, I know it's a lot to ask but let your walls down, for me she needs to see your pain so that she can help,"

"Ok but I don't want to talk about what goes on in there ok…"

"As long as you talk," Judy gave the fox a quick kiss on the cheek before she started to drive again as the light turned green. A shot while after passing under the climate-wall the duo found themselves parked at the ZPD.

"Hay is Allie on leave?"

"Yea everyone involved with the shooting has been given three days off,"

"I have to make a call…" Nick was looking at his phone as though it might grow teeth and bite him,

Judy tried to hide a laugh, "Nick it's not going to bite you,"

"Yea but she just might," Nick said somberly as he began to dial a number on his phone.

Judy just sat patently in the drivers seat as the phone rang,

"Im sorry!"

Nicks shout would have caused Judy to hit her head on the roof of the cruiser if she had not kept her seatbelt on, she turned an angry glare at the fox.

"I just wanted to tell you that you should get a call at about 4:00pm from a white wolf named Wade, consider my promise fulfilled."

"Sure Filter, whatever you say. I think he is a nice guy, though a bit shy, he was working the day shift at Abe's Eatery so I assume he should be off at four… but if he doesn't call don't get upset he probably just couldn't work up the nerve."

"Ok well give this guy a chance, ok…. and whatever you do, do not greet him with 'Nice ass' I honestly think that he would pass out,"

Nick glanced over at Judy who was blushing through her fur,

"HA is she still upset about that,"

"Yes, her ears turn red at the very mention of your name…happy."

Nick stifled a chuckle as he saw Judy pull her ears down and glare at him from in-between them, he looked at her and mouthed the words 'Soo cute' and got a punch to the stomach from the rabbit,

"Oh can you do me a favor Allie?"

"Please take a picture of his face when he first meets you and send it to me," Nick ended the call and placed his phone in his pocket,

"Now that I survived waking up Allie, I'm going to go discuss my _feelings_ with a shrink," Nick said with sarcasm and a air-quotes,

"Nick you promised that you would take this seriously," Judy said accusingly,

"I know, I know… I promised, so lets go," Nick hopped out of the car and started to walk towards the ZPD doors.

"Dumb fox," Judy whispered as she shook her head,

"My dumb fox," she corrected herself,


	5. WadeAllie

**Hibbles113 suggested the name "The Love of her Laugh" Which was PERFECT, so thanks, Wade and Allies story is now called ^ that**

 **And for for reference hyenas laugh when they are worried but I say that when they evolved they laughed whenever, you should look up what it sounds like it's really cool, they can also make this weird whooping sound. Most people don't know this bit, Hyenas are not canines nor are they felines they are in the family** **Hyaenidae**

Allie POV

Zzzzzz….Zzzzzz

Allie recognized the buzz of the phone that was siting next to her bed on her nightstand. She thought about ignoring it because it was her day off and she was planing on sleeping until noon. Some mammals would think that the enthusiastic hyena would be an early riser, those mammals would be wrong., When someone asked her where her energy came from she would say sleep…lots and lots of sleep. There has been weeks where Allie would work for days in a row on a case, resulting in her falling asleep on her desk, most mammals knew to let sleeping hyenas lie…that if Allie was sleeping on the job that it was well earned, and even the Chief let it slide… but there were a few poor mammals that ventured to raise the hyena from her keyboard pillow…and as a result suffered her wrath.

Zzzzzz…Zzzzzz

The hyena gave a sigh and prepared a few words for the mammal who woke her from her slumber. She reached over to grab her phone and inhaled deeply so that she could chew the ears of whoever was on the other end of her call, she then clicked the answer icon with a claw,

"I'm sorry!" Nicks voice shouted from speaker of the phone.

"Nick you better have a good reason why you called me at the ungodly hour of…" she looked at the clock on her phone, "11:30 in the morning."

"I just wanted to tell you that you should get a call at about 4:00pm from a white wolf named Wade, consider my promise fulfilled."

"You know that I was kidding about that right?" secretly she was not kidding, she was twenty-six and she has never gone on a date… or the ones she had she scared her date away by being so…her.

"Sure Filter, whatever you say. I think he is a nice guy, though a bit shy, he was working the day shift at Abe's Eatery so I assume he should be off at four… but if he doesn't call don't get upset he probably just couldn't work up the nerve."

"Ok well give this guy a chance, ok…. and whatever you do, do not greet him with 'Nice ass' I honestly think that he would pass out,' Nick had to pull the phone away from his ear because of the hysterical laughter that came blaring out of the speaker.

"HA is she still upset about that," Allie said while trying to control her snickers.

"Yes, her ears turn red at the very mention of your name…happy."

"Very much so, and thanks Nick, I got to go and make myself presentable,"

"Oh can you do me a favor Allie?"

"Fine what is it fox,"

"Please take a picture of his face when he first meets you and send it to me," Nick was trying to withhold his own laughs at this point.

"Sure," and with one more fit of laughter the hyena hung up. Honestly, she always told anyone would listen what was on her mind, everything except the one secret she had… only Nick and a few choice friends knew that one. The fact was that behind her frank and happy exterior she was lonely. Her parents had died when she was young and she had grown up with her grandpa who had died when she was nineteen, her friends helped her cope with her loneliness, but platonic friends could only help so much. She had a lot of emotion in her and she wanted to share her feeling with someone, she needed someone to love…and possible love her. Though her last dates felt off, she wanted love but that did not mean she would settle for anything other than the real deal, if there wasn't a spark she left.

"Well, maybe this one will work," she looked down at her tatted and dirty. She really needed a deep clean and she could only do so much at the ZPD. "but first I need to look good… well better," she said aloud with a smile. She knew that she was attractive she had a athletic figure, and with all of her running and ZPD training she had a flat belly which was rare for hyenas. The looks she got from most species boosted her confidence higher than it already was, although sometimes she wished that she was less attractive because males would never ask her out, "Maybe I am unapproachable?"

She spent the next hour scrubbing the dirt our of her fur, shampooing her whole one hundred and forty pound body of muscle and fur. Usually mammals only gave themselves a deep wash like this once a month, because it takes so long and most groom themselves so it is not really necessary to fully shampoo all that often. But today Allie wanted to look perfect, so she took extra time brushing her course fur while in the shower to get out the deeper knots and bitting at her shoulders to get the worse knots from where her vest rubbed her fur. When she was satisfied with herself she stepped out onto the fur-dryer outside of her shower, enjoying the warm air that was being force through her fur. The dryer left some areas of her body ruffled but that was soon remedied by a few quick licks. She struck a few poses nude in-front of her mirror admiring herself.

"I'm going to knock the fur of that wolf," her words made her bust out in chuckles again. Finally she got dressed in her favorite ripped jeans and pink shirt, the look was casual but she believed that she made the simple outfit look good. She thought about wearing her foot wraps but she honestly was very proud of her sharpened and polished claws so she left her paws bare. Finally she started to attend to her most prized possession, something she cleaned and polished for at least thirty minutes a day… her teeth. She honestly loved how straight her teeth were and with her constant brushing they looked like pearls in her mouth, when she was finished with her fifteen minutes of brushing for the morning she smiled at herself in the mirror, admiring the contrast her teeth offered to her brown fur.

After everything was said and done she had taken three hours getting ready for her date, even if the wolf wanted to have it another day she wanted to be prepared just in case. Plus she got really bored in her apartment and grooming gave her something to do.

At 4:15 her phone buzzed, she couldn't help but give a nervous chuckle as she reached for it, when it was in her paws she used one of her claws to answer.

"Hello," she said, she was able to hold back another nervous chuckle, but just barely. A few moments passed and Allie accidentally let a nervous giggle slip through her teeth when there was no answer. She was about to hang up when she heard a barely audible voice come through the speaker,

"H-h-hey my name is Wade, I don't r-really know what to say…. but Nick gave me your number and I…well…maybe…" he couldn't finish his rambling because Allies excitement got the better of her,

"Oh you'er my date! So where we going?" she couldn't hide the excitement from her voice,

"Wha… well… um…I honestly didn't think that I would get this far…"

"Awww…. thats so sweet, I can't wait to meet you… How about Valerie's at eight thirty?" The hyena said excitedly, she loved Valerie's coffeeshop, it was relaxing, open twenty-four-seven, and for some reason she could sit there all day and not get bored.

"Uh… Yah sure…Im really sorry but my phone is dying and I still have thirty minutes work after this break, s-so I guess I'll see you then,"

"Sure thing Hun, see ya then!" After that Allie hung up and got ready to leave, she thought a nice ride before her date would be fun. So she grabbed her faux-leather jacket, the one that had a laughing hyena skull on the back, and headed to her door before leaving for her buildings parking garage, as she skipped along she couldn't help but smile. She tried to whistle as she walked but was quickly reminded that she couldn't, but that didn't stop her from trying. A short walk later she was greeted by her second most prized possession, her 1500 soft-tail Hogley Motorcycle. The motorcycle was all black with deep purple accents, the gas tank so clean that the hyena could see her face in its reflextion. She started the engine and gave a loud laugh and a toothy smile as the massive bike roared to life, she could hear the powerful motor echo throughout the garage making her chuckle harder as she dropped the clutch with the throttle almost completely pulled back, the bike lurched forward and the front wheel barely stayed on the ground as she peeled out of the complex to take a ride down the long winding road to the burrows and back. Riding was relaxing to her and she needed to burn some time before her date. She always stopped well before she got all the way to the burrows because the last time she rode through she had made a few rabbits faint, although she couldn't blame them… she knew that her bright toothy grin and laugh, as well as her skull and crossbones skullcap, made her look quite menacing…but she was not going to dull down her enjoyment by hiding what came naturally to her, so when she smiled she showed her teeth, and when she was happy she laughed… she was just a little sad that prey wouldn't talk to her because of that.

 **WADE POV**

Wade stared at his phone for a while after Allie had hung up, he was slightly stunned by how well that seemed to go.

'She sounds kind,' Wade thought with a smile,

His phone dying knocked him out of his thoughts, his tail start to wag furiously behind him, he was actually going to go on a date tonight… his first date ever, even though he was twenty-four, he could never get up the nerve to ask anyone out before.

He walked happily to his next table, whistling quietly,

"Hello, My name is Wade and Ill be your waiter today," the wolf said with enthusiasm,

The rest of the wolves shift passed quickly, his happiness overwhelming his shyness as his enthusiasm spread to his costumers, effectively raising his tips. But his joy was to high so is manager just had to ruin his mood. Amber walked up to Wade as he was taking of his apron to clock out,

"Megan called in sick, You are going to be pulling a double now," as the cheetah started to walk away she heard an assertive voice call out behind her,

"No, I have a date at eight thirty," confused she turned around to see who had talker to her, she was surprised when she saw her white wolf waiter staring back at her, the same one who was known for being a push-over and that she often forced her crap shifts on.

"What was that wolf," she said as anger rose in her voice, while walking back to stick her muzzle close to his face with a snarl.

"I s-said that I have a date," some shyness making its way back into Wade's voice,

"You _will_ work until ten when we close or you _will_ find yourself unemployed," the cheetah said while baring her teeth, she spun around and walked away, leaving the wolf whose happiness she had just crushed reeling behind her.

As soon as she left, Wade pulled out his phone to call Allie. Once the phone was freed from his pocket he whimpered in defeat when he saw that the screen wouldn't turn on.

' _Just my luck,'_

Wade was miserable for the rest of his shift, and at 9:55 he bolted out the door to his car,

'I am so sorry Allie, please don't cry…Nick said she would if I didn't call but skipping our date…I hate making mammals sad,'

The wolf ran towards the door, grabbing a rose from one of the table setting as he ran, he didn't even notice when the thorn punctured his pad.

 **ALLIE POV**

Allie had been sitting at the coffeehouse, at a table for two for the last thirty minutes.

"He is late…. that's all," she said aloud while letting out a loud nervous laugh escape her, drawing concerned looked from all the prey in the shop. Thirty more minutes passed, and her hope had boiled down to sadness, she had been stood-up, she actually had a date and allowed herself some hope at maybe finding a mate, she had spent almost four hours making herself look incredible for that damn wolf. Her sadness slowly boiled into rage,

"Oh he _is_ going to pay!" she silently walked towards the door with a dark grin on her muzzle, there was no laughter, no chuckling just silence so thick that it seemed to pass to the other mammals at the coffeeshop, who stopped to look at the very embodiment of righteous fury. A laughing hyena was scary… but the costumers at the shop soon realize that a silent one was far, far more terrifying. She flung the glass doors to the shop often and she swung a leg back over her motorcycle and dug her sharp polished claws into the rubber grips. She then ripped the treads off of her tires with how much throttle she gave the bike as she peeled away from her favorite shop, splitting lanes and passing cars as she made her way to her destination…Abe's Eatery.

She made the trip in record time, as well as breaking at least twelve traffic laws by her count. She was nearly shaking in her fury as she parked her Hogley about four feet from the front door at ten o'clock. There was a deer standing at the entrance of the diner, whose job it was to lock the doors come closing time, although the hyenas entrance had him frozen in place, the term 'A deer in headlights comes to mind'. The furious female brushed the deer to the side as she stormed the building, she soon spotted a cheetah wearing a manager name-tag reading Amber amongst the shocked staff-mammals. Allie calmly walked up to the manager and said in a sickly sweet voice that _almos_ t masked her rage.

"Where is he," she said with a toothy smile,

"W-who," the cheetah shuddered, while the larger female hyena glared down at her.

"The slimy wolf who missed our date!"

The cheetah was now regretting her decision of bullying Wade into taking that extra shift, she had never believed in karma but at that moment she was starting to. She was to afraid to come up with an answer for the incarnation of fury standing in-front of her. When no answer came the hyena pointed behind the cheetah with her claw to another server, a male tiger named Justin.

"You! come here." Allie said as she pointed a claw at the ground in-front of her,

The large male obliged with his ears down and eyes even lower, as if meeting the hyenas gaze would burn through his retinas.

"Where is WADE!"

"H…," Justin was one of the white wolves few friend and he wasn't going to betray where he went, that is until his eyes did in-fact meet Allies gaze and he realized that no matter where Wade hid, there was no spot in the world isolated enough that this female _wouldn't_ find him. So Justin decided he would try and soften the blow for him, "It wasn't his fault he was different today… exited about a date with some mysterious female… I assume that he was talking about you…anyways Amber made him take an extra shift. Trust me Wade would never miss a date on purpose…mainly because he wouldn't want to hurt someones feeling." The cheetah flinched at the look of pure concentrated anger that was thrown at her by the hyena.

"He still left five minutes early…I think he was hoping that you would be there… I mean he was talking like this was his only chance and being the hopeful guy he is… he must have thought that you may have waited…" the tiger said, trying to douse the fire in Allie's eyes, and it seemed to be working.

"Thanks Hun," she said as she patted the tigers shoulder. Allie turned and walked to the door making sure to jab a shoulder at the cheetah along the way, once at the door she moved the deer that was still frozen at the entrance so that she could pass. Allie then jumped back on her bike and made the tires scream as she pulled out from the front steps of Abe's and back towards Valerie's.

Wades Pov

Wade had just made it to Valerie's and as soon as he busted through the door he looked for a employee. When he found a busy looking beaver wearing a uniform, he ran up to him and asked,

"Have you seen a female hyena here today," he know that hyenas were one of the less common mammals in Zootopia, and were usually easily remembered.

"Yah, she got here about eight and stayed until about ten, she was nervous…You know how they chuckle and such when they are nervous..or happy…or anything really…I hope you aren't looking for her because she looked pretty pissed when she left," the beaver spoke in a flat voice until he got to the warning when the wolf saw a some fear flash behind the beavers eyes.

"Oh," the white wolf said as his ears fell and his tail hit the ground, "thanks…she was my date," The beaver gave him a look that said 'Dead mammal walking' and then spoke,

"Well, you are stupid… she was gorgeous… in a terrifying sort of way," and at that the beaver went back to work.

Wade found a table in the corner and sat down while placing the single rose on the wood surface. The wolf decided that this table was as good as any to sulk, so that is what he did. His ears were down and his back was hunched to the point where his nose was almost touching the table. The wolf was so consumed by his misery that he didn't hear the deafening roar of an engine outside of the coffeeshop, nor did he hear the chair across from him scraping the floor as a figure sat down.

Allie POV

By the time Allie had entered Valerie's, she had decided that if the wolf showed any regret at missing their date that she would forgive him, if not she would skin the wolf and where his pelt as a jacket. Her cop instincts caused her to scan the room once she entered, and in the process of doing so she saw a white wolf sitting alone in a corner table. She saw that he would be quite attractive if not for how miserable he looked. Allie then saw the pitiful rose sitting in-front of the white wolf's nose, it wasn't the fullest rose and it was missing some petals, but she knew that the rose was meant for her, and at that moment she couldn't think of a flower more beautiful.

"Apology accepted," the hyena said in a soft voice to herself.

She walked up to the wolf, pulled out the chair across from him and took a seat.

' _He looks like he took missing our date harder than I did…I think I know how to save this date…'_ Allie thought to herself.

"Hi, Im Allie, you must be Wade…you are right on time," Allie said with a chipper voice and a large bright smile. She thought that pretending the last few hours didn't happen would be the best course of action. Allie watched as Wade's ears shot up to register her voice, and then saw his back straighten and his eyebrows rose when he realized that he had been given a second chance. After a moment to collect himself he brought his eyes up to see his date. Allie was delighted when she saw that the wolf's eyes did not linger on her body like most males, but traveled directly to her own eyes, this wolf wanted to see her, not her body, the thought caused Allie to give a near silent chuckle. She also realized that his timid expression did nothing to mute his piercing blue eyes as they locked onto Allies amber colored ones for a brief moment before looking away in a submissive manner. His eyes were intelligent looking, as if he could see people for who they really are at one glance, as if the electric blue would cut through any lies and see the truth behind a mammals words.

"Uh…I-I well," Wade reached down and picked up the rose from it's resting place, he then cut of the one remaining thorn with a claw before holding it across the table for Allie, "…y-you deserve more b-but." Allie reached across the table and plucked the rose from Wade's paw as if it was made from glass, she held it gingerly and stared down at the wilted flower.

"No one has ever given me a flower before…" she said with a few soft chuckles before holding it to her nose and breathed in its scent, she could smell the sweet scent of the rose as well as Wade's scent mixed with the iron smell of blood, the blood didn't surprise her because it was common for the mammals harvesting roses to poked themselves on the thorns. She was still quietly chuckling at the sweetness of the gesture when she looked up to see Wade staring at her with a soft smile.

"What?" said the female, as Wades eyes turned away from her gaze,

"Oh sorry… its just you'er laughing at my flower and I think that…" before he could respond he saw Allies paws shoot to her muzzle,

"Oh Im sorry I can't help it, I love your flower, honestly it means so much to me and thats why I was laug…" she was cut off by a white paw touching her wrist.

"No, it's ok I was going to say, I think that your laugh is beautiful…," Wade's sudden boldness faded quickly as he pulled his paw away from Allies arm, "Sorry I just don't know what to say around you…" Allie reached across the table to grab the wolf's paw and held it before it could retreat back under the table.

"If it makes you feel any better, you'er doing great so far," she said while smiling with all of her teeth. Wade's submissive nature kicked in and he lowered his head slightly at the display of her teeth, but his own smile couldn't be contained as it broke free from his muzzle. Allie felt something wet in her paw, and when she looked down she saw that the pad on Wade's paw was bleeding.

"What happened Wade," Allie said, with some concern in her voice,

"O-Oh sorry I hope that I didn't get blood on you…I was in a rush to try and get here when I grabbed the rose and it stuck me with a thorn… I cut it off for you s-so…" Allie pulled his paw up to her muzzle and gave his cut a quick lick, to clean it and prevent infection, it was a completely innocent gesture. She looked back up when she realized that Wade had stopped talking and was staring at her from across the table.

"I-I could have done that, you know," the wolf said,

"I know but I like you, you are cute and honest. But you need to not be so nervous around me, I honestly want to spend time with, and talk to you. Trust me if I didn't like you I would already have left. K Hun,"

"Well, I think I can talk around you but there are other mammals here and It makes me nervous, that is why I became a waiter for a while… so that I would be forced to learn how to talk to mammals,"

Allie was about to comment when she heard a rather loud statement from a table of two moose setting next to them,

"I wish that that dirty scavenger would just leave already, they make me sick,"

Allie was used to the things that were said about her species and usually just ignored them, but Wade was not so used to it, he was kind to his core and had trouble understanding how mammals could hate so easily. Allie saw something flash behind his eyes as he stood up and started to shout at the moose who had disrespected his date,

"What did she ever do to you, she is just sitting here having…I hope… a good time, and you have to say some speciesist shit like that! And you," Wade pointed a claw at the other moose siting at the table, "let him..how can you hang out wit…"

"Wade!" Allie yelled but it was to late,

Wade was cut of by a strong hoof thrown at his jaw, which effectively knocked him out. Allie had watched the wolf's transformation from meek to protective in the blink of an eye, she was flattered that he could push away his shyness so quickly to defend her honor. Usually she ignored the speciesist remarks thrown at her, but now hey had to go and hurt her date. _Hell No,_ her paws clinched against the table as she stood up, leaving deep gashes in the wood.

 _"_ ZPD you are under arrest," she whipped out her badge as a deep snarl rattled through her barred teeth.

"Lets see you try little lady," the moose who had hurt her wolf said, Allie couldn't stop laughing at the moose who was _supposedly_ going to stop her from arresting him, that is until the moose stepped forward and took a jab at her. The hyena calmly ducked under the blow and took a quick step forward so that her right paw was next to the moose's left hoof, she jumped up and grabbed the moose's antler with her claws while simultaneously kicking the back of his knee causing him to fall backward. She let go of his antler right before it came in contact with the table that he had been sitting at, effectively snapping the antler off and leaving the moose unconscious on the floor next to Wade. Allie then turned to look at the moose's companion just in time to see him abandon his friend and run out the door.

Allie went to check on her now unconscious knight in shining armor, she felt his jaw gently while rubbing hi muzzle with a thumb, she felt that it was not broken and that he would probably be ok, with the exception of a terrible headache. She sighed as she picked her date up of the floor to lay him down on the red seat of a booth. She turned back to the unconscious moose, and cuffed him to his table with the cuffs she always carried in her jacket. She then borrowed a pen from a stunned beaver employee to write a note on a paper towel that said, _From Allie_ with two little hearts drawn next to it, she then stuck the note to the moose's head with some ketchup before calling the ZPD and telling them that she had a perp for them to pick up, but not until after she took a picture of her handiwork with her phone.

"Now what am I going to do with you…" Allie thought aloud as she looked at her date, who's tongue was now hanging out the side of his muzzle causing the hyena to laugh.

"I don't know where you live so it looks like I am taking you home on the first date," she said while scooping up the wolf and carried him outside. After a few moments and several loud whoops on her part she had flagged down a taxi, she explained to the otter cabbie that the wolf was to be taken to her address, and that she would follow on her bike so that she could offload Wade when he reached their destination. The cabbie seemed to have no problem with his newly acquired costumer, albeit unconscious, a far was a far as far as he was concerned.

BACK AT THE ZPD

Chief Bogo answered a call on his office phone,

"This is Chief Bogo, what do you want," he said in his usual booming voice,

"You aren't going to believe this chief but Allie left us another present, check your phone," Fangmeyer's voice answered, causing the Chief to sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose before checking his phone. And the selfie that had been sent to him by Allie caused a migraine to appear in his thick skull.

"I swear she wants to bury me in incident reports, she is almost as bad as that damned fox… at least she hasn't blown up a train….yet" the Chief said while shuttering at the thought of his hyena officer laughing while standing atop of a burning train overlooking a city on fire.

"At least she is on our side…I think,"

WADE POV

Wade awoke from his forced nap with one thought on his mind,

"Allie," The wolf said groggily, while slowly opening his eyes. Once they were open as much as his headache would allow he realized that he was in a room, and in a bed, not the floor of Valerie's. The next thing he saw was a nightstand with a coffeecup full of water holding a rather pitiful looking rose, next to the rose was a folded piece of paper. The paper was folded in a way where it could stand on its side without falling over. On the side of the paper facing him was a note, it took some time for the wolf to read what it said from where he was laying on his side,

 _Thank's for defending me_ _Hun, I have never had someone stand up for me like that before, and I thought that it was sweet. I didn't know where you lived so I decided to take you to my apartment so I could keep an eye on you. Make yourself at home, and don't worry I had a chat with your boss and she was kind enough to give you the day off with pay, I have a feeling that she will be nicer to you from now on haha._

 _PS Don't freak out, but I wasn't going to make you sleep on the couch, and I sure as hell wasn't going to, so I shared the bed with you. Haha I wish I could see the cute expression you must have on your face right now._

When the wolf read the postscript his eyes grew wide and a bright blush could be seen through his snowy fur. Wade then realized that the bed was, in-fact warmer than it should be, when he rolled onto his other side he saw a slumbering form with its back turned towards him, still wearing her pink shirt and ripped jeans. The realization that he had shared a bed with a female, and that said female was still in the bed caused the wolf to yelp in surprise, as well as fall of the side of the bed and onto the floor.

As Wade lay on the floor looking at the ceiling he noticed a creamy brown muzzle appear over the corner of the bed. The muzzle then looked down at the pile of wolf in the floor and let out a little snicker.

"What you doing way down there Hun," chuckled the hyena. For some reason unbeknownst to the wolf he felt strangely relaxed under the gaze of Allie, and with no other mammals around his shyness lifted slightly.

"Dropped a contact," he joked, causing Allie to bust out laughing, Wade realized at that moment that he could listen to her laugh forever, it was soothing to him as well as exhilarating. Her laugh made him feel like lightning was running through his veins, and that he didn't need air anymore, that all he needed to sustain him was her laugh.

"And here I was thinking that you didn't want to sleep with me," she said with a sad pouting look that was ruined by her chuckling, "get back up here I got you a present, and no it's not _me so_ you can save that blush for later."

"Uh ok," the wolf nervously climbed back into bed with his date, as soon as he positioned himself back against his pillow the hyena was laying right next to him while holding her phone over both of their faces blocking the ceiling from view. Allie had forgot to hide her wallpaper from the wolf, and when the screen came on to show Allie posing with an unconscious Wade she nearly dropped the phone on her face. She looked over at Wade to see that he was blushing again. Quickly the hyena found her photo gallery and pulled up a selfie with her blowing a kiss at the camera with an unconscious moose in the background with a note stuck to his head.

"It's no rose but…" Allie was cut of by a loud rich sound coming from her side, she slowly turned her head to see that Wade had his jaws open in a deep hearty laugh that was very conflicting with his personality, she could feel his laugh vibrating into her chest. That deep laugh caused Allie to bust out laughing right along with him, she was laughing about how awful this date had went but how she wouldn't want it any other way. When she started to laugh Wade stopped to listen, and just bathed in the warmth of his new favorite sound.

 **I liked this the way I wrote it the first time so I did some editing and boom Wade and Allie…or is it Allie and Wade? Hope you enjoyed, this is my favorite chapter so far.**


	6. Chapter 6

**OK SO I am back for real this time. I have been distracted by more important stuff, For one I found my mate lol so I have been spending a lot of time with her ( she is a lot like Allie honestly minus a little of the crazy and she is a tiny tiny girl like 5'2). And also because this story was kinda of an outlet for me not having anyone and sense I found her I lost motivation to write. Because it felt like I was living my story. but the voices kept whispering to me to continue (namely a tone of PMs wanting me to continue). So now I will write a whole chapter of fluff why I figure out where I am going with this story.**

 **JUDY POV**

Judy parked the cruiser next to the ZPD after dropping nick of at the entrance. She hopped out of the large cruiser and began to mindlessly walk to the ZPD's front door. As she walked she let her mind wander.

 _'_ _I hope that Nick will feel better after his talk with the department psychiatrist,_

 _though I doubt on session will help much… I just wish yesterday never happened.'_

Then her selfish side chimed in on her thoughts, _'But then you and Nick wouldn't be together is that what you want.'_

 _'_ _No, but that would have come out eventually I mean he felt the same way,'_

 _'_ _So you marked him,'_ She thought to herself.

At this point she had wandered past the front desk and was halfway to Bogo's office, and her last thought made he stop in her tracks.

' _Crap and he marked me,'_ she thought as her nose twitched trying to pick up the scent that must be on her.

 _'_ _Well, I cant smell anything, so maybe this conversation can be delayed,'_

But that thought didn't give her much comfort as her logical voice kicked in ' _You are just nose blind, marks are supposed to be noticed and he will,'_

 _'_ _Great'_

At this point Judy was standing in front of the doors to Bogo's office, she took a deep breath and pushed open the smaller door that had been installed just for her and Nick, and took a step into the office. As she entered the large buffalo looked up from something out of site to acknowledge the rabbit.

"Oh Officer Hopps I ha…" Judy saw the large buffalos nose contract and relax a couple times,

"Is Nick with you? If so we can wait," The buffalo said while looking at the smaller door.

"No, just me chief, " Judy said a little nervously.

The chief said something under his breath that Judy interpreted as something like, "Saw that one coming,"

The Chief sighed and look at Judy and said, "I assume you will be professional about this,"

"Of course Chief," Judy said seriously,

' _Well, that went better than expected,'_ Judy's internal voice said,

 _'_ _That it did,_ ' Judy said for once agreeing with her thoughts,

The buffalos bombing voice broke Judy from her thoughts, "So lets get this over with,"

The Chief took a recorder from a drawer of his desk and set it on the table, "Ok Hopps report,"

Judy went through the events of the bank robbery in as much detail as she could, leaving out her internal thoughts about Nick. Her voice wavered slightly hen she got to her near death experience and the Death of Artie.

The Chief listened intently asking her to elaborate on certain parts of her report for the sake of having a thorough recording. At the end he pressed a button on the recorder that ended the recording.

"Thank you Officer Hopps I know reliving something like that can be difficult, I think I am speaking for the whole department when I say that your quick thinking saved a lot of people that day,"

"I was just doing my job Chief,"

There was a brief look of pride that crossed the Chief face that vanished just as fast as it appeared.

"Very well, you are dismissed."

The bunny stood and saluted then turned to leave, but as her paw reached for the door the chief said, " And Judy you and Nick are on leave for the next 2 weeks with pay,"

"But I didn't do anything wron…"

"I know but Judy he will need you, I saw him yesterday… I lost a friend to a situation like this once and I will not lose another Officer to themselves."

Judy had never seen much emotion from the large chief of police but the look that flashed across his face was of such sadness that the only think Judy wanted to do was to go and comfort the chief. The second thing that crossed her mind was determination to make sure that Nick didn't end up like the chiefs nameless friend.

"Dismissed," the Chief said in a quiet voice, at least as quiet as the Chief got.

"Thank you sir,"

 **BOGO POV**

After watching one of his prize officers leave the room Bogo opened a drawer and took out a picture of a young buffalo and elk both wearing crisp ZPD SWAT uniforms. The buffalo had a shotgun hanging from a strap on his shoulder and a battering ram on the other, while the elk was holding a large long barreled riffle not unlike the one Nick had used earlier.

"Im sorry I didn't do more… old friend."

 **Holy shit Erebus the hyena lives. Anyways sorry about such a long wait. This chapter is short because i wanted to give y'all something to read. And to brush off the rust for whatever path I plan on taking this story.**


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